Model Military International - Issue 115 (November 2015)

■ All the information you’ll ever need to create the best military models... ■

TANKFEST

2015

Issue 115 November 2015 www.modelmilitary.com

G N I R E E N O PI

R E Z N PA WI tank Meng’s new 1:35 A7V W

TANK BOY

Asuka 1:35 Sherman Firefly

PUSH-ME, PULL-YOU

Tamiya’s new 1:48 Opel Blitz with an unusual payload

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Dragon 1:35 T-34 ■ Italeri 1:35 Vosper ■ Dragon 1:35 Panzer IV Ausf. D ■ AMPS 2015 Show Report ■ and more...

November 2015 / £4.20 / Issue 115

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Contents - Issue 115 November 2015 50

REGULARS p 4 NEWS

What’s new in the world of military modelling

p 56 SMALL SCALE

News of models and figures, 1:72 scale and smaller

p 57 BOOKS

New model-related titles

p 58 INCOMING

News on accessories, tools and finishing products

p 60 1:48 SCALE

Luke Pitt explores 1:48 scale military models, figures and accessories

p 66 LAST POST

Late breaking news and ramblings from the Editor

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FEATURES p 6 THINK TANK

Opel Blitz by Bruce Culver

p 14 PUSH-ME, PULL-YOU Tamiya 1:48 Opel Blitz by Brett Green

p 22 PREVIEW

Dragon 1:35 Panzer III Ausf. M with Schurzen

p 24 PIONEERING PANZER Meng 1:35 A7V by Dan Moore

p 32 PREVIEW

Revell 1:35 Dingo

p 34 SEE HOW THEY RUN Part One

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Dragon 1:35 T-34 Beutepanzer by Radek Pituch

p 42 PREVIEW ©ADH Publishing Ltd 2015 Tel: (UK) 01525 222573 Fax: (UK) 01525 222574 Email: [email protected] Address: ADH Publishing, Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane, Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX, UK Model Military International is published monthly by ADH Publishing. Reproduction in part or whole of any text, photograph or illustration without written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. While due care is taken to ensure the contents of Model Military International is accurate, the publishers and printers cannot accept liability for errors or omissions.

ISSN 1749-8864

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Zvezda 1:35 T-72B

p 44 BLOODY OMAHA

Large-scale resin figure by Matt Wellhouser

p 50 TANK BOY GALLERY Asuka 1:35 Sherman Ic Firefly

p 52 TANKFEST 2015 Show Report by Andrew Willis

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Newsline - November’15

MMI Newsdesk, ADH Publishing, Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane, Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX, UK Tel:01525 222573 Fax:01525 222574 Email:[email protected]

NORTH STAR MODELS’ DEBUT KIT RELEASE

Russian accessory manufacturer North Star Models has released its first injection-moulded plastic kit. This is a 1:35 scale GAZ-704 car trailer. The GAZ-704 car trailer was developed in 1953 to work with GAZ-69 and GAZ-69A cars, later to work with UAZ-469 (until today). It has no brakes. Payload is 500 kg. This is a full plastic kit with resin detail parts. Details are as follows: • 17 of plastic details • 6 of grey resin details • 2 of “rubber” resin wheels • 6 of color resin details Thanks to North Star Models for the information and images. Available online from North Star Models http://northstarmodels.com

NordicCon 2015 “Born in the USA”

The theme for Minnesota’s largest scale modeling show is “Born in the USA,” saluting the planes, tanks, automobiles, and more. Whether on a Detroit assembly line, at the Brooklyn navy yard, in a Seattle factory, a Hollywood scene shop—or in a maternity ward, tipi, or cabin—a scale model representation The 2015 NordicCon Scale Model Show will be held on Saturday, October 24, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the historic Base Camp, 201 Bloomington Road, Fort Snelling, MN. This is Minnesota’s largest scale model show, with expectations of several hundred highly detailed and finely crafted replicas of autos, planes, tanks, ships, figures, dioramas and more on display. “We are building off a very successful show last year, where we had a record number of 496 models entered,” said NordicCon Show Chairman John Ross of Brooklyn Park, MN. “We plan on surpassing that number, and we want to see more members of the public join us. Scale modeling is a great hobby for kids and their parents. You can become fascinated with a particular plane or car or space craft, and it can lead you to research things on your own. Kids enjoy having fun while they’re learning, and without realizing it, they are developing great skills to have. This may even spark an interest in engineering, product design, or architecture!” Modellers and the public are invited to two seminars that will be offered. At 10:30 a.m., Tim Streeter will present A Moment in Time: Drama, History, and Dioramas, discussing how his training as a theater director and playwright shaped evolution as a diorama builder. The Genre of Science Fiction Modeling will be explored at 12:30 p.m. with noted sci-fi modellers John Larson, John Ross, and Erik Zabel. Once again, NordicCon will have a large vendor area and flea market, raffle, and silent auction, as well as hundreds of models on display. To help attract more youngsters into the hobby, this NordicCon offers a display area for Lego and Mega Blok projects, as well as the usual free Make n’ Take for kids to get a taste of scale modeling. Snacks and lunch items will sold by a local Boy Scout Troup. Model registration will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The awards presentation will being at 2:00. Public admission is $5 for adults, and free admission for kids aged 18 and, under educators, active/retired military, police, fire, and EMT personnel with valid ID. Modellers can register an unlimited number of models for display and competition for only $10. For more information: http://www.NordicCon.com and http://www.facebook.com/groups/NordicCon.

NEW FROM ACCURATE ARMOUR

Accurate Armour’s new 1:35 scale releases are now available. These are all Centurion related and designed to convert the AFV Club Centurion gun tank plastic kits into various Armoured Recovery Vehicle (ARV) variants; in two cases they replace the full kits made in the past: C087 - Centurion ARV Mk-1 Conversion C087i - Centurion ARV Mk-1 Conversion with interior C103 - Centurion ARV Mk-2 'Long' hull Conversion C104 - Centurion ARV Mk-2 'Short' hull Conversion C105 - Centurion ARV Mk-2 Australian Army South Vietnam Conversion A176 - Centurion drivers compartment K149 - Austin K2Y Ambulance full kit  The full 1:35 scale kit of the WWII Austin K2Y Ambulance is available again and in stock now with newly printed decals Thanks to Accurate Armour for the information and images www.accurate-armour.com

DIOPARK NEW RELEASES

Taiwanese model company Diopark has announced two new figure sets: DP35014 – WWII British Royal Marines Soldier Set A and DP35014 – WWII British Royal Marines Soldier Set B Thanks to Dipark for the images and information.

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ULTIMATE 1/6th SCALE ALL METAL KITS Ma de in

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TANKMOD 2015

Model Exhibition in partnership with Armortek. The Tank Museum - October 10th 2015 10am - 4:30pm

Armortek customers and their models at the Tank Museum 2013.

Come and see Tiger 131 and the Armortek 1/6th scale model The Tank Museum will be inviting exhibitors from across the country to take part in its model exhibition.

WORLD RECORD ATTEMPT

For event information contact: The Tank Museum, Bovington, Dorset, BH20 6JG www.tankmuseum.org 01929 462359

Build your very own ‘Tiger 131’ The finest Tiger 1 kit to date

Sd.Kfz.181 Panzerkampfwagen VI Ausf E

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Illustration and graphic design by www.studiomitchell.co.uk

Now in its second year, the Tank Museum will be joining forces with ARMORTEK for a day which promises to be packed full of amazing models!

Recognised by Guinness World Records, Armortek with their Records customers will be bringing together the largest collection of 1/6th scale armour tanks in the world in this unique world record attempt.

Think Tank - The Opel Blitz 3-Ton Truck in German Service

While the 3-ton Opel Blitz first appeared in 1936, a very similar but lighter version, a 1.5-ton light truck, appeared in 1938. It was visually almost identical to the 3-ton lorry but was smaller and the front wings wrapped around the inner side of the front wheels. It is very easy to mistake this 1.5 ton model for the heavier 3-ton Typ S Blitz lorry.

The Opel Blitz 3-Ton Truck in German Service Bruce Culver outlines the history and development of the ubiquitous Opel Blitz German truck.

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ll modern armies move on a sea of supplies: food, weapons, ammunition, spare parts, uniforms and personal equipment – a never-ending stream of materiel needed to conduct a war. For that reason, military leaders are most concerned about logistics, the process by which a soldier has a weapon, ammunition to feed it, and food to feed himself. Without a system of supply, no army could stay in combat for an extended period of time. Thus, the number of supply vehicles in most armies far outstrips that of combat vehicles. In the Third Reich, as for its enemies, this was true – the number of automobiles, trucks, trailers and other supply vehicles far exceeded the number of tanks, guns and armoured vehicles. When the National Socialist party came to power in 1933, Germany was in the deepest throes of the Great Depression. Its automotive industry was composed of primarily many

smaller firms dominated by a few large ones, and many of these were struggling to sell vehicles to a public who couldn’t afford them. The Nazi program of military rebuilding came as a savior to many of these companies and the government soon ordered many thousands of cars and trucks to supply the new military. However, the practice of buying so many different types of vehicles greatly hindered the military, particularly in regular maintenance, since the many designs in service required unique spares and technical assistance to keep them operational. It was left to the larger automotive manufacturers to bring some standardisation to the military transport field. Ford, Mercedes and Opel were three of the largest German auto manufacturers in the 1930s, and all three contributed large numbers of vehicles to Germany’s military and civilian users. Ford and Mercedes had big plants that could produce large runs of

vehicles and also had considerable experience in automotive and truck design. Both companies produced many thousands of trucks for the Wehrmacht.

OPEL ORIGINS Adam Opel AG was founded in 1862 by Adam Opel, and initially produced sewing machines. Later, the company introduced a successful line of bicycles in the late 19th century. After Adam Opel died in 1895, his five sons looked for future products, and settled on a new invention, the automobile. By the turn of the 20th century, Opel was making six models of automobiles. At the same time, Opel began entering races and was quite successful. Opel’s first cars, being hand-built, were too expensive for most people to afford, and by 1908, the company offered a less expensive model. By 1914, Opel was the largest automobile maker in Germany. As Opel expanded, it introduced some better production methods for car assembly and also standardized

parts, simplifying production. During World War I, Opel converted to military production, making a number of trucks for the German army, including a popular 3-ton model. The trucks had interchangeable parts to improve maintenance and repairs, but wartime shortages brought changes. Because a number of Opel workers were drafted for the army, the company used women and prisoners of war to build Opel trucks, and rubber shortages forced the firm to build trucks with plain metal wheels. With the defeat of Germany in 1918, Opel’s plant was occupied by French troops, and the economic privation after the war forced Opel to concentrate again on cheaper vehicles such as bicycles and motorcycles. Gradually the company recovered, until the period of monetary hyperinflation during the Weimar Republic period in the 1920s. Opel was forced to close their factory in 1923 because they couldn’t pay their workers.

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1. The first production model of the Typ S 3-ton Opel Blitz was intended as a troop carrier and had a wooden rear body with high fixed sides; only the tailgate could be lowered. Though clumsy to use for cargo, many of these troop lorries also carried supplies. 2. Production of the first and second models ran concurrently from 1936 to about 1941. This is a standard Typ S, with the usual military equipment – searchlight on the cab front and a Notek blackout light on the front left wing. Note the high sides and short canvas top. 3. The second production model of the 3-ton Typ S Opel Blitz featured a different rear body better suited for carrying cargo. The sides folded down for off-loading from platforms or trains, and the seats could be folded up to make room for supplies. 4. Production of the first and second models ran concurrently from 1936 to about 1941. This is a standard Typ S, with the usual military equipment – searchlight on the cab front and a Notek blackout light on the front left wing. Note the high sides and short canvas top. 5. Like most second type Blitz lorries, this example has 6-bolt wheels, the searchlight, rear wings below the rear bed and the usual short canvas top. Some lorries impressed from civilian service could have different details. This example has no Notek blackout light. 6. This Bulgarian Typ S 3-ton Blitz shows the layout of the second (cargo) body. The bottom was raised above the rear wings to allow the sides to fold down. The rods at the front of the sides supported the canvas top when erected.

ASSEMBLY LINE During this critical period, two Opel sons visited the United States to learn about modern automobile production methods, especially the assembly line concept started by Henry Ford. It was obvious to them that the piece-work custom assembly approach widely used

in Germany would never allow the building of inexpensive cars the masses of people could afford. Upon returning to Germany in 1924, the Opel factory began producing a small car using a short assembly line that proved its worth, allowing Opel to reduce the price of its smallest car to DM 2,200 by 1928.

Also, in 1929, after Opel had become a stock-holding company, the directors agreed to sell 80% of the company to the U.S. General Motors firm, becoming the German subsidiary of General Motors. In 1931, GM purchased the rest of Adam Opel AG. In 1935, GM constructed a large new factory in

Brandenburg, supplementing the original plant in Ruesselsheim-amMain, near Mainz. Also in 1931-35, Opel introduced new models of cars, including the Kadett and Kapitan, intended to use the new Autobahn highways. They were influenced by contemporary GM models in the United States. A

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Think Tank - The Opel Blitz 3-Ton Truck in German Service 7

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7. A number of Blitzes were built as special purpose lorries. This example was a butcher’s shop and supplied meat to the local troops. Others were made as bakeries, machine shops and many other versions; some could be converted back into cargo lorries if needed. 8. Identifying the various models of the Opel Blitz lorries is complicated by the fact that Germany impressed many thousands of civilian vehicles into military service, and these often differed in many details, large and small. This civilian 3-ton lorry lacks rear wings. 9. The third body type was introduced in 1941 and featured lower sides with added slats above to accommodate taller cargo loads. This is an early example serving with the DAK in North Africa, and unusually, retains the earlier 6-bolt wheels; most had 8-bolt wheels. 10. Here is a better look at the third body type, showing the slats above the lower side panels. This saved wood and lightened the sides for easier handling. Note the Zwillingsockel 36 mount for twin MG 34s – later, some lorries were converted to carry 2cm light flak guns. 11. With the adoption of the lower sides, the canvas top was redesigned to extend lower to cover the upper walls of the lorry bed. This is a standard 1941 third body Typ S Blitz lorry, serving with the DAK in North Africa. It was a very popular and reliable vehicle. 12. Another third body Typ S Blitz lorry in Africa, showing the early application of desert camouflage, a partial cover of RAL 8000 Gelbbraun leaving some of the early RAL 7021 Dunkelgrau exposed for a contrasting color.

B The Blitz In 1930, Opel also began selling a new medium truck, named the “Blitz” (“Lightning”) in a contest, and within a few years Opel was the largest truck producer in Germany. The Blitz was a successful design and there were soon four models, all called “Blitz”, ranging from 1-ton through 2- and 2.5-ton types, with the 3-ton Blitz as the largest. After 1935, the 3-ton models were built at the new Opelwerk Brandenburg plant in eastern Germany. It was a

large modern facility that allowed full use of efficient assembly techniques. In 1937, Opel redesigned the 3-ton Blitz medium truck to upgrade and modernise it. New front-end sheet metal gave it a distinctive look and the older valve-in-head (flathead) 6-cylinder engine gave way to an overhead valve engine from the Opel Admiral luxury automobile. The 1.5 ton pickup was also reworked and looked like a smaller version of the 3-ton Blitz. The new trucks

arrived at about the time the major rearmament effort was bringing new business to the German automotive industry. The 1937 Opel Blitz 3-ton 4x2 truck met most of the German military specifications in its basic form and was soon ordered for the Wehrmacht. It was destined to become the mostproduced truck used by German forces in the coming world war. The Opel Blitz 3-ton truck, designated as “Blitz 3.0 to 3.636” (Typ S), was built in several versions, and then modified for

a number of special purposes. There were also impressed civilian vehicles and trucks built on bus chassis that fell outside the standard production types. Many of the civilian Blitz trucks were nearly identical to the standard military models. The smaller 1.5ton pickup was dropped in 1942, after the Ruesselsheim plant was converted to aircraft subassembly production. Existing examples of the 1.5-ton vehicles served to the end of the war. The first production version of

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13. This photo shows the far side of the rear bed lowered to off-load a train. The drop sides made the Opel Blitz one of the most versatile military lorries in WW2 and it could be converted easily to a variety of tasks. This lorry is overall RAL 7021 Dunkelgrau. 14. Still fairly early in the war, changes were made to speed production and save materials. This later production Opel 3-ton Blitz shows many of the altered details – no rear wings, no Blitz emblem or bonnet ornament, no searchlight, still with the original headlamps. 15. There was a great variation in details on later production Blitz lorries. This ambulance has the final small headlamps but retains the Blitz radiator emblem often removed. The Einheitskoffer box body served in many tasks – late versions were mostly ambulances. 16. This Opel Typ S Blitz 3-ton fuel truck shows the details of a late-production vehicle. Note the small headlamps, no bonnet ornament but retaining the Blitz emblem, higher cab roof and deletion of the inner rear wheels, not needed for an airfield supply vehicle. 17. With the destruction of the large Opel Brandenburg assembly plant in August 1944, Mercedes Benz was ordered to continue Blitz production under license. This is the Mercedes L701 model of the Opel Blitz, all of which had the Einheits composite cab. 18. In 1940, Opel introduced an all-wheel drive version of the Blitz 3-ton lorry, the Typ A, to meet special military needs. All of them had 8-bolt wheels, and the front axle was set back on the frame to provide clearance for the differential. This is the troop carrier body.

the Opel Blitz was a troop carrier. It had the standard front end with a steel cab, a 4x2 drive train and a 68HP 6-cylinder overhead valve (OHV) engine. The rear body had high wooden fixed sides with external wood bracing, a hinged dropping tail gate and padded bench seats along both sides for troops being transported. It could also be used for cargo, but was clumsy to use since the sides did not fold down and loading the truck from a rail head meant maneuvering the cargo around to

the rear or lifting supplies over the sides. Nonetheless the Blitz proved to be a reliable and easily maintained truck, and cargo was often carried in addition to the troops when necessary. The military realised that the main function of most trucks was carrying supplies, and so a second model of the Blitz appeared shortly after the first. The second model had a revised rear body with a higher floor, no wheel well cutouts, hinged sides that dropped down with external metal hinge

support frames, and a simpler interior with a flat floor. It was much easier to load and unload than the first model and became the standard cargo truck of the Wehrmacht. Since Europe had a fairly dense road network, the 4x2 drive of the Blitz was not a serious disadvantage early in the war in the Polish and French campaigns. For a few years these two basic cargo truck models were the major types produced at Opel’s Brandenburg plant. By 1941, shortages and lack of resources

started a process of simplifying many military and civilian vehicles to increase production and reduce costs. For the Blitz, this meant a third body to replace both the earlier types. The new body had lower sides, with additional slats above to allow more cargo to be carried. This made the folding sides lighter and easier to handle. The sides and tail gate all folded down, and the flat floor allowed easier loading of cargo. This new type became the standard production model for the rest of A

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Think Tank - The Opel Blitz 3-Ton Truck in German Service 19

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19. The all-wheel drive Blitz had considerably better cross-country performance, as shown by this example slogging through deep mud. Note the use of chains on both axles even in mud, to prevent tire slipping. This Typ A lorry also has the first type troop carrier body. 19. The majority of all-wheel drive Typ A Blitz lorries had the third body type as seen here. This is an intermediate production model with rear wings, bonnet ornament and Blitz emblem on the radiator grill. The seats in this body could fold up to carry more cargo. 19. The Typ A Blitz lorries were used on all fronts and proved very useful in poor road conditions. This mid-war model carried troops during the campaign in Italy. Note the heavy coat of limestone dust on the wheels and chassis, a hallmark of service in Italy. 19. The Typ A all-wheel drive Blitz was also fitted with the standardized Einheitskoffer box body. Though used for many different tasks, the basic layout of the body was standard and interior fittings and accommodations had fit the configuration of the basic body. 19. The vast numbers of Einheitskoffer were identical externally and only labels or interior details distinguished many of them from one another. Some variants, like radio vans with prominent antennas, could be identified easily. Ambulances usually had clerestory roofs. 19. One of the Blitz chassis built by Opel was for an omnibus, which was soon adopted by the Wehrmacht for use as transports and planning offices by senior officers. The military bus was spacious, allowing a number of occupants and it proved to be very reliable.

B the war. Around the same time, Opel went to a heavier wheel design with 8 bolts, replacing the older 6-bolt type, as there had been reports of wheel failures on heavily loaded trucks.

Austerity Measures Further austerity measures led to removal of a number of details. Opel continued to use the full metal cab, but the searchlight was deleted as was the Opel hood ornament and often the radiator “Blitz” lightning bolt symbol. The

wings over the rear wheels were also dropped and the early large headlights were replaced with smaller headlights similar to those on the VW Kubelwagen. Later, the cab was modified to save metal by adopting a wood rear wall, which raised the height of the roof compared to the standard cab. There were many variations, and impressed civilian vehicles made things more confusing, as their details sometimes differed from the purely military trucks.

Specialised Roles As the war progressed, the Blitz was adapted to perform many different tasks, and there were a number of specialist bodies designed to fit the Opel Blitz chassis. There were several tanker bodies for different purposes, including aircraft refueling and later fueling the Me 163B Komet rocket fighter and the V-2 missile. Perhaps the most common special body fitted was the standardized multi-purpose box body designated Kfz 305. This became known as

the Einheitskoffer. This body was used for command functions, workshops, radio vans, ambulances and a number of other uses. There were also a large number of fieldbuilt box bodies designed to fit inside the standard cargo body so the truck could be converted back to a supply vehicle. On 6 August 1944, the RAF bombed the Opel Brandenburg factory and completely destroyed it, ending Opel’s production of both the 4x2 and 4x4 Blitz trucks for the rest of the war. Mercedes was

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25. This military bus in service with the DAK in North Africa was used by senior commanders, including FM Erwin Rommel, DAK commander. Inside were map tables and conference equipment. Note the sunshades and the camouflage netting on the roof. 26. This Opel Blitz bus in Russia carries an interesting camouflage pattern most likely applied with mud, a common practice when troops realized the standard Dunkelgrau was too dark to provide any concealment in the dry climate of southern Russia. 27. The truly ghastly road conditions during the Russian fall and spring rain seasons made roads virtually impassable to wheeled vehicles, leading to a half-track conversion of the Opel Blitz lorry. This is an early prototype using an articulated suspension. 28. The production version of the tracked Blitz lorry was called the Maultier (mule) and standardized as the SdKfz 3. Rated at 2 tons for military loads, it used a suspension developed from the British Carden Loyd carrier and used PzKpfw I tracks. 29. The Sd.Kfz. 3 Maultier was widely used in difficult terrain and also was used as a service vehicle for the large Me 321 transport glider and the Me 323 powered version. This is an earlier Maultier with spoked road wheels, entering a Me 323 transport. 30. The Sd.Kfz. 3 Maultier was also fitted with the Einheitskoffer box van body and used for a variety of tasks. The rear side doors opened to stowage closets; the rear door was an entry. Note the filled cutout intended for the normal rear wheels on lorries.

ordered to end production of its own L3000S 4x2 3-ton truck and produce the Opel Blitz 4x2 instead. Mercedes assigned the designation “L701” to their licensed Blitz trucks. All the Mercedes-built L701 Blitzes were similar, having late detail features such as no rear wings and simplified bodies, and all of them had a new Einheits cab of wood and composite material to save metal. This was the defining feature of the Mercedes-built Blitz trucks, as all Opel-built Blitzes had metal cabs.

Anticipating the need for better cross-country performance, The Wehrmacht ordered Opel to design an Allrad (all-wheel) drive version of the Blitz. This appeared in mid1940 and was designated “Blitz 3 to 3.6-6700” (Typ A). It was as simple and robust as the 4x2 basic model had been. It appeared early enough that the first production version had the same troop-carrier fixed body of the basic model, though most of the 4x4 type had the lower final body configuration. It also received the

Kfz 305 box body for a variety of tasks, including ambulances. Both 4x2 and 4x4 trucks were built at Brandenburg until August 1944. Limited production resumed years after the war, using parts from Mercedes L701 Blitz production. Opel also produced several thousand chassis assemblies for buses, many of which went to the Wehrmacht to use as command vehicles and troop transports. These chassis were lower to the ground and had longer wheel bases. Several companies built

bus bodies to mount on the Opel chassis, and they were popular and well-used vehicles on several fronts. Although only 4x2 drive, they proved useful in a variety of locations. Rommel was one of the commanders who used buses of this type, his in North Africa.

Maultier In addition to the Allrad 4x4 version, Opel and several other truck manufacturers produced a special half-track type based on their various 4x2 designs. Using

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B suspension components from the Carden-Loyd carrier, the half-track chassis replaced the rear axle of a standard truck and greatly improved performance in the heavy mud and snow of the Russian front. They were rated as 2-ton vehicles but often exceeded that weight. The Opel half-track trucks were designated the Sd.Kfz. 3a Maultier (Mule). There were cargo types with the usual truck rear bodies and also versions with the Kfz 305 box body – most of the later production box bodies were used as ambulances. The usefulness of the Sd.Kfz. 3 Maultier chassis led to an improvised design for an armoured version to carry the 15cm Panzerwerfer 42 ten-barrel rocket launcher. A fairly simple armoured body was adapted to

31. Ambulances normally had Einheitskoffer bodies with clerestory roofs for headroom and ventilation. On the Russian front, large red crosses became targets and they were often smaller on later vehicles in the east. The radiator cover was a standard winter fitting. 32. A number of Opel Maultier halftracks were fitted with armoured bodies to carry the 15cm Panzerwerfer 42 10-barrel rocket launcher. Because of the large smoke trails when the rockets were fired, these rocket launchers need to be mobile to avoid counter-battery fire. 33. The Sd.Kfz. 4/1 Panzerwerfer 42 auf Maultier launchers were widely used on the western front, including the Battle of the Bulge. These vehicles show how fresh snow can stick to surfaces, creating natural camouflage. Each launcher carried 20 rockets, 10 as reloads. 34. Some of the Opel Panzerwerfer 42 auf Maultier vehicles were built as ammunition carriers and didn’t mount any launch equipment, but carried spare rockets for resupply. In most other respects they were the same as the launchers, simplifying maintenance. 35. The Sd.Kfz. 4/1 Opel Panzerwerfer 42 auf Maultier was used on the Russian front as well. This example shows the complex camouflage scheme used to break up the shape of the vehicle. Though the rockets were unguided, they could saturate a large area.

fit the Opel Maultier chassis and the rocket launcher was installed on the roof of the rear body. The interior held 10 additional rockets for a full reload. It was designated Panzerwerfer 42 auf Maultier, SdKfz 4/1, and appeared in mid1943. It was used first on the Russian front and then in 1944 introduced to other fronts. The Sd.Kfz. 4/1 was an area fire weapon, useful for saturating a large area, but not useful against precise targets. It was used in the West as well as Russia and a number were captured during the war. Some 300 of the rocket launchers were built, plus 289 of the similar unarmed munitions carrier. Top speed was 40km/h (24MPH) due to the weight of the armoured body, almost 40% greater than the basic truck.

End of the Line

Legacy

Total production of the Opel Blitz trucks was about 130,000 units of all types. The majority were ground up in the front lines and did not survive to the end of the war. Those that were left became valuable transportation, and several former production plants after the war became rework facilities where damaged or wornout vehicles could be reconditioned, so great was the need for transport in post-war Europe. The ruined Opel assembly plant in Brandenburg was dismantled by the Russians as a war reparation and never produced any more Opel vehicles. Years after the war, Opel did produce 467 Blitz trucks in the Ruesselsheim am Main plant, using parts produced by Mercedes, but they were the last of the line.

The Opel Blitz was one of the successes of the German military system in World War Two. It was rugged, simple to repair and maintain, and fortunately for the Allies, the fact that it was at heart a GM product meant that U.S. Chevrolet and British Bedford parts could be used to restore them to running condition if found abandoned due to broken or worn parts. After the war, this same commonality of parts made them a valuable resource, as parts were usually available. A number have been preserved, and many have been adopted by vehicle collectors and re-enactors. Some of the latter vehicles still ‘head ‘em up and move ‘em out’, keeping the tradition of faithful service alive. n

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Coming Soon In 1:24

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Hobbyboss 1:35 - Russian T-40S Light Tank

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Miniart 1:35 - BZ-38 Refueller

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10/09/2015 09:59

FEATURE ARTICLE

Tamiya 1:48 German 3 Ton 4x2 Cargo Truck • Kit No. 32585

PUSH-ME, PULL YOU BUILDING THE OPEL BLITZ Brett Green builds Tamiya’s all-new 1:48 scale Opel Blitz with an unusual payload. Tamiya’s box art. Please note that this model has nothing in common with the reboxed Italeri kit released a few years ago.

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T

he Opel Blitz was an enormously important vehicle. In total, more than 130,000 were produced. To put this figure into perspective, total Panzer production of all types was less than 50,000. This is not the first time that we have seen a 1:48 scale Opel Blitz in a Tamiya box, but it is the first time that we actually have Tamiya sprues. Tamiya re-boxed Italeri’s 1:48 scale Opel Blitz back in 2008 as Kit No. 89782. This was not Italeri’s finest kit, with accuracy issues around the shape of the windscreen and side windows, chunky and simplified details, thick road wheels and poor vinyl tyres. In its favour though, it included a cover for the cargo tray, and it was more widely available than the increasingly rare 1970s-vintage Bandai kit. A

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Tamiya 1:48 German 3 Ton 4x2 Cargo Truck • Kit No. 32585

B THE REAL TAMIYA OPEL BLITZ Kit No. 32585 is an all-new Tamiya moulding with no parts in common with the Italeri Blitz. Tamiya’s brand new 1:48 scale Opel Blitz comprises 84 parts in dark grey plastic, a further 44 stowage parts in medium grey plastic, six parts in clear and markings for two vehicles. The six-bolt front wheels identify this as an early production vehicle. The shapes look good. In particular, the windscreen and windows appear to be accurate – a big improvement over the Italeri kit. Another major step forward is the wheels. These are presented in injection-moulded plastic, with the rims and tyres moulded together and very nicely detailed. The chassis and lower areas are broken down simply but look convincing when assembled. Unlike the Italeri kit, the cab doors are separate and may easily be posed open or closed according to the modeller’s preference. The engine hood is made up from five separate parts with another for the grille. The medium-grey stowage sprue offers eight jerry cans, three 44 gallon drums, several packs and a bucket. Even if you don’t use these on the truck, they will come in very handy for the spares box. The decals provide markings for two Panzer Grey Wehrmacht vehicles.

1

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Clear parts are offered for the windscreen, side windows and optional headlight lenses.

8

Markings are supplied for two Wehrmacht vehicles.

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1. The front mudguards and lower front body are moulded as one piece. 2. Doors are separate and may be posed open or closed. 3. The interior is basic but perfectly adequate for this scale. 4. The cargo tray features nice wood grain texture. 5. The drop sides have the canopy hoops moulded in place. 6. Suspension parts. 7. Lower engine detail is moulded to the one-piece chassis. 8. Wheels are well detailed. 9. A driver figure is included.

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The exhaust and leaf springs have been glued to the chassis.

Differential and steering ready for installation.

The bench seat was painted before it was fitted to the cab.

The wheels are broken down simply, but the front faces look good. Note that the six-hole front wheels identify this as an early production vehicle.

The clear parts were masked prior to removal from the sprue.

Front body components awaiting assembly.

Interior surfaces of the cab were sprayed Tamiya acrylic XF-63 German Grey and then the masked clear parts were glued in place.

The cab and forward body are built up according to the instructions.

CONSTRUCTION Construction was generally very straightforward. This model could easily be built in under a day. I built the truck itself straight from the box. The only deviations I made were to pose the rear cargo tray flap horizontal to the tray, cut the hoops for the cover off the sides and front of the cargo tray, and to leave the wheels off until painting was complete. A few minutes was spent ageing the leather bench seat with airbrushed shading, an oil wash and subtle dry brushing. The interior of the cab was sprayed with Tamiya XF-63 German Grey prior to its assembly. Interior details such as the steering wheel and the shift knobs were painted black before the cab was sealed too. The clear parts were masked with Tamiya tape prior to installation. A

Doors and engine covers are next. I found that a bit of fiddling was required to get a good fit of the engine covers.

The completed cab.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Tamiya 1:48 German 3 Ton 4x2 Cargo Truck • Kit No. 32585

A swipe of Tamiya Surfacer on the engine cover joins was the only filler required.

B PAINTING AND MARKINGS The canopy hoops were cut from the back and sides of the cargo tray.

Taking shape – the cab is glued to the chassis.

Mudguards and other details have been added to the bottom of the cargo tray.

Cargo tray parts ready for assembly.

As this was an early production vehicle, I sprayed an overall base coat of Tamiya XF-63 German Grey using my Iwata HP-C Plus airbrush. However, I wanted to depict a vehicle in service later in the war – around 1944. I thought that by that stage, the dark Panzer Grey paint job would have been oversprayed with a more appropriate camouflage. A heavy squiggle of Dark Yellow – almost solid in places - was therefore applied over the top of the German Grey base colour. The tyres were brush-painted using Vallejo acrylics. At this stage, the model received an overall coat of Alclad II Klear Flat. Weathering comprised a SIN Industries Brown Filter, chipping with a sponge and dark brown acrylic paint, and Maru Easy Mud.

A NASTY SURPRISE

The cargo tray has been glued to the rest of the truck.

One of my favourite modelling tasks is removing masks from clear parts. The crisp, clean, clear part usually adds a new dimension to the finish of any model. Unfortunately this time, with the removal of the tape, I was presented with a clear part that was far from clean. The inside of the windscreen and the side windows seemed to have fogged up. I really don’t know how this happened. It looks similar to the effect that super glue will have on a clear plastic part in a confined space, but I had not used any super glue inside the cab. After considering my options I decided to mask an arc in front of the driver representing the swipe of a windscreen wiper, then spray the rest of the windscreen with a thin mix of Tamiya XF-55 Deck Tan to represent a coating of dust. In the end, though, it looked just like what it was – a dodgy attempt to hide sloppy modelling! Later, I popped the windscreen and one of the side windows out, and replaced them with a new windscreen from a second kit. I cut the side window into two and glued the front quarter window at an angle, leaving the main part of the side window off. A

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An overall base coat of Tamiya XF-63 German Grey was sprayed onto the model using my Iwata HP-C Plus airbrush.

The tyres were brush-painted using Vallejo acrylics. A heavy squiggle of Dark Yellow – almost solid in places - was applied over the top of the German Grey base colour.

Weathering comprised a SIN Industries Brown Filter, chipping with a sponge and dark brown acrylic paint, and Maru Easy Mud.

The model on its wheels. The windscreen and side windows were fogged when I removed the tape, so I attempted to hide the problem with sprayed dust and a wiper-blade mask.

I did not weather the cargo tray until I was closer to fitting the payload.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Tamiya 1:48 German 3 Ton 4x2 Cargo Truck • Kit No. 32585

B PAYLOAD There is no doubting the significance of the Opel Blitz, but I wanted to add a bit of extra visual interest to my model. My first plan was to fit a 2 cm Flak 38 gun in the cargo tray. This was not an uncommon combination, and it would be more eye-catching than the truck alone. Both Ace and Verlinden offer 1:48 scale Flak 38 kits, but neither was in my collection. With my tight magazine deadline, I didn’t have time to wait for international delivery, so I started looking for alternatives. Although it might have been technically feasible for the Blitz to mount a 2 cm Flakvierling or a 3.7 cm Flak 37, it seems that these guns were usually fitted to heavier trucks or Maultier versions. Deprived of my first options, I searched Google for alternatives. In the process, I found an illustration of a Messerschmitt Bf 109 partially dismantled and towed by an Opel Blitz. If I could not have an antiaircraft gun in the back of my truck, I could certainly have an aircraft! ■

While searching the Internet for information and images of Opel Blitz trucks fitted with Flak guns, I found this diagram of a stowed and towed Messerschmitt Bf 109.

The full-span lower wing was sliced up too.

Eduard’s 1:48 scale Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6 was converted to match this configuration. Here, the wing roots have been sliced off and the Eduard BRASSIN firewall from their engine set is being test-fitted.

The open fuselage wing root was covered with tape. This was marked and cut as a template for thin plastic sheet.

The plastic sheet was detailed with strip and various punched holes, then glued to the fuselage halves.

Transport jigs were cut from plastic strip.

Modelspec

The jigs simply slide over the wings, then stand in the back of the truck.

Tamiya 1:48 German 3 Ton 4x2 Cargo Truck Kit No. 32585 Tools & Materials (Truck Only): Revell Contacta Cement Tamiya Extra Thin Liquid Cement Tamiya Masking Tape (various widths) Tamiya Surface Primer Paints & Finishing Products (Truck Only): Tamiya Acrylics – X-18 Semi Gloss Black; XF-1 Flat Black: XF-57 Buff; XF-59 Desert Yellow; XF-60 Dark Yellow; XF-63 German Grey; XF-64 Red Brown. Vallejo Panzer Aces Acrylics – 311 New Wood; 337 Highlight Ger (Black) Vallejo Model Colour Acrylics - 919 Foundation White; 70995 German Grey Future Floor Polish SIN Industries (MIG) Filter – P241 Brown for Dark Yellow Winsor & Newton Oil Paints – Lamp Black; Raw Umber Ronson Lighter Fluid Solvaset Decal Setting Solution Alclad II Klear Kote Flat – ALC 314 Maru Easy Mud Item No. 21105 – European Earth

The cargo tray was weathered with Maru Easy Mud. It was thinned with water and brushed over the entire cargo tray, then the excess was wiped off before it dried.

✓ Interesting and useful crossover subject for military and aircraft modellers; good level of detail and moulding; generally excellent fit. ✗ Nothing worth mentioning. Available from All good model shops Worldwide. Thanks to Tamiya Japan for the sample Tamiya kits are distributed in the UK by The Hobby Company Limited www.hobbyco.net

Rating Gustav in tow! The Blitz and Bf 109 in profile.

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I decided to replace the fogged windscreen and one side window. Fortunately, I had bought a kit before the sample arrived!

Full details on the assembly, detailing, conversion and painting of Eduard’s 1:48 scale Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6 are provided in Issue 55 of Military Illustrated Modeller’s Aircraft Edition.

Full details on the assembly, detailing, conversion, painting and mounting of Eduard’s 1:48 scale Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6 are provided in Issue 55 of Military Illustrated Modeller’s Aircraft Edition.

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KIT PREVIEW

Dragon 1:35 Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.M w/Schurzen • Kit No. 6604

Graham Tetley examines the latest in Dragon’s ever-growing Panzer III family – the Ausf. M with photoetched metal schurzen.

KURSK WORKHORSE

D

ragon’s onslaught on all things Panzer III continues with this latest version. The Panzer III Ausf.M shares the same 5cm KwK39 L/60 main gun as the Ausf. L and among its modifications was a deep-wading muffler with a series of associated hatch seals that allowed fording of water obstacles up to a depth of 1.3m. This kit allows the builder to depict no less than 6 vehicles that took part in the Battle of Kursk in July 1943 as well as one from an

unidentified unit in Sicily in 1943. There are no new sprues in this kit. What we have is a combination of parts from the previous Dragon Panzer IIIs, notably the Panzer III Ausf. N w/Schurzen kit 6474 with the gun, fenders and cupola from the Panzer III Ausf. M w/Wading Muffler kit 6558. The only new addition is the decal sheet, and Dragon has swapped their excellent Magic Tracks for the not so good DS counterparts. One thing that I can never fault Dragon for is the quality of their moulding and this kit is no exception. It is crawling with fine detail and all plastic parts are perfectly moulded with no flaws on my example. Knock-out pin marks are in places that won’t be visible on the finished model,

A nicely cast bonus resin figure is also included.

Generic photo-etched parts.

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however Dragon’s use of lots of little pips does increase the cleaning up time. Of those kits that I have built previously, the only comment I can make is be careful in fitting the rear deck to the lower hull, but it should be a straightforward build. For the Schurzen, Dragon provides the rails in plastic and the shields in etched nickel. You don’t get the scale effect that brass gives but it does make the assembly both quicker and stronger. The instructions are busy and, as I have not yet built this, I can’t say if there are any errors. The incorrect etched fret is shown on the front page but the etched parts called out in the instructions do match the fret included. This amalgamation of existing sprues comes together to form a popular addition to the Panzer III family. However, for the price of the kit, I do wish Dragon would bring back the Magic Track with DS Track as an optional extra in the box for those who prefer them. It is a good, sound kit and comes highly recommended. ■

The main armament sprue.

Main gun barrel.

The teeny turret lifting hooks.

Turret side armour and supports.

Thanks to The Hobby Company Limited for the sample www.hobbyco.net

The two new marking options.

Turret armour supports are commendably thin.

The photo-etched schurzen in all their shiny glory! The turret roof is crawling with detail.

11/09/2015 11:01

The International Plastic Modellers Society (UK) Presents

Saturday 7th November 2015 Open: 10.00am to 6.00pm

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Admission: IPMS Members FREE Adults: £10.00 each day ~ 2 Day Pass: £15.00 Concessions: £7.00 per day Children under 16: FREE

The International Centre Telford Shropshire TF1 4JH SMW includes over 370 exhibitors, including some 190 trade stands and 180 model clubs

The World’s Greatest Model Show Incorporating the IPMS (UK) National Competition

FEATURE ARTICLE

Meng A7V Tank (Krupp) • Kit No.TS-017

PION PAN

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ONEERING ANZER Dan Moore wastes no time building Meng’s all-new 1:35 scale A7V WWI German tank.

M

uch has been previously published about the birth of the German Panzer forces and the development of the Tank. In a brief synopsis I will try to give a basic background history of the A7V itself. In September 1916 the German Army faced a previously unknown adversary for the first time – the British Mk I Tank. This was alarming to an army that was not prepared for this new mobile form of combat. The OHL (Supreme Army Command) needed an equivalent vehicle to face the new British rhomboid tanks. The War Ministry specified for a new design, a 30 tonne panzerkampfwagen with various armour and armament requirements. After a relatively short planning and construction time, a functioning, prototype A7V based on the Holt caterpillar chassis was available for demonstration in April 1917. After some of the initial flaws that were noted on trials were rectified, the design was accepted for manufacture. A relatively low number of A7Vs were eventually built, with only 20 known operational vehicles although its chassis was also utilized for a series of tracked cargo carriers and other specialized versions.

A WHOLE LOT OF “LOTS”…. This is where the A7V story tends to get a little blurred. In all, there were three “lots” of A7Vs constructed – 1st Lot (Röchling) manufactured by the firm of Röchling, 1st Lot (Krüpp), constructed by the well-known armaments firm of Krüpp and the 2nd Lot – thought to have been also constructed by Röchling. The variations between batches may be apparent to only the most diehard of A7V fans, however side by side there are noticeable differences. One main difference between “lots” were the 5-piece side armour plates featured on the 1st Lot Krüpp vehicles – No.503,541,542, 543 and the subject of Meng’s all-new kit , No.504 “Schnuck”. Because of the limited number of vehicles produced in this “lot” and the numerous subtle differences between vehicles, the modeller really needs to decide which vehicle he/she decides to model or go with the flow and model as Meng intended – No.504. A

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Meng A7V Tank (Krupp) • Kit No.TS-017

The lower bogie assemblies. Note the return roller rack joins, these will be hidden under the side plates.

B I would strongly recommend

to the modeller to examine the 2010 Tankograd publication “Sturmpanzer A7V – First of the Panzers” before starting the kit as this gives a good overall picture of the various differences.

AN ALL-NEW A7V Previously the modeller has not had much to choose from in the form of an A7V kit. The available choices have been the somewhat notorious 1:35 Tauro offering, the rarely seen 1:35 Sparta resin kit and the aging 1:72 Emhar kit for small scale modellers. In early 2015, new kid on the block Meng announced what had been rumoured for some time and modellers had long been hoping for, an all-new up to date mainstream 1:35 A7V. This kit has arrived on the modelling scene with unusually little fanfare, which is surprising considering the large number of recent WWI kit releases and the

Meng’s rendition of the caterpillar tracks – nicely done and workable too. Driver’s station and radiators – although well detailed, care is needed to ensure an even fit.

popularity and interest shown in this earliest panzer. Upon opening the sturdy, slickly produced box the modeller is faced with a daunting 760-odd parts count – 224 of these being very cleverly designed workable track links. The parts are produced in a crisp, pale plastic that proved easy to work with. With this release, Meng has kept the photoetch to a minimum. Although slightly thick, it is a nice addition. As mentioned previously, Meng only offers one marking option – No.504. However, for this build I decided to build another vehicle of the 1st Lot (Krüpp) gang – No.543 “Bulle”.

CONSTRUCTION HINTS AND TIPS Working on Meng’s new beauty, I found the overall build extremely enjoyable, although the initial lower hull/chassis building stages are somewhat tedious. The bogies can also become a little painful due to the large number of parts,

but the overall design and final look is excellent. The lower hull assembly can be built up quite quickly once the rails are joined and the transmission added. The bogie assemblies are then completed and added to the lower hull – it pays to sit the model on a flat surface and add weight to the top hull after gluing the bogies to the underneath to achieve an even sit. Don’t be too concerned about cleaning up the middle seams on the return roller racks – they won’t be visible once complete. The idlers and drive sprockets are nicely done, with the sprockets a push in poly-cap affair. At the next stage it’s time to start building up the remainder of the lower hull and tracks. Once cleaned up each track link consists of two parts and after gluing the guide to the track pad, they simply click together. This is a smart move on Meng’s behalf and the assembled track lengths are quite resilient to handle, unlike other

workable tracks that I have dealt with previously. The track lengths can then be added later on should you so wish. Next up, the floors are added, followed by the driver’s platform and very nicely rendered radiators with their etched screens. This is one area that Meng could have done better. The fit at best is average – it takes a bit of patience and some careful trimming to achieve an even, neat fit of this assembly however once complete it more than looks the part. Meng has supplied a fully complete driver’s station and the various driving controls that match plans well. The driver and commander’s seats simulate the originals nicely. However, for the fussy modeller Meng has not supplied the two Daimler engines that should be tucked under the driver’s station. This is no real issue on a buttoned-up A7V, however if the vehicle is configured “top down” (as A7Vs are usually

Lower hull and chassis assembly complete – apart from the missing Daimler engines, Meng have done their homework.

Upper hull side plates – nice and thin, with the join only requiring a minimum of glue and filler.

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The hull mounting tabs. These need to be shaved down slightly. Also note the sink marks that may require filling.

No.543 “Bulle” featured a slightly different upper armour strip and domed rivets – several A7V’s had different layouts. This is easy to add from scrap etch.

Dry fit of the side hull plates to the lower full and flooring. Note the “J16”angled hull supports.

The crew access door. Domed rivets need to be added to the bottom door strip.

Upper hull side plates added and clicked onto the lower hull.

All the entire major sub-assemblies test fitted prior to painting.

Tamiya Liquid Surface Primer mixed with Lacquer thinners was used as a base primer.

The major sub-assemblies primed and ready for interior painting to commence.

The driver’s louvered cupola. The louvres may posed as the modeller wishes - quite clever thinking on Meng’s behalf.

A7V Armoury! Meng supplies a comprehensive array of weapons – even for the crew.

pictured whilst driving or resting) this may be an problem. It does seem a little odd that Meng has neglected depicting any form of engine. I dare say before long we may see a pair of aftermarket drop-in engines to detail the kit. At this stage of the build I had added most of the lower hull and chassis assemblies including the driver’s station, crew seats and ammo racks, these require little clean up and can be built reasonably quickly. Next up was the upper hull assembly. Here I must admit I did somewhat stray from Meng’s instructions to ease painting the major assemblies later on. The following tips may assist the modeller who approached the kit as I did: 1. Glue all four major hull side pieces together (OFF the lower hull). glue one side to an end (I used just a touch of Tamiya thin glue on the inside join, it doesn’t require much) then glue the other side to the same end, then glue the opposite end. A little bit of tape helps……the only putty needed is a touch on the exterior joins where the locator tabs are situated. Also, leave off the two “triangle” hull endplates (H15, H18) – these can be added later on after the upper and lower hulls are joined. 2. Trim the lower mounting tabs on the upper hull sides– on both ends take a fair bit off, then a little bit off the lower mounting tabs on the hull on one side. This way the hull easily slips over the chassis and sits nicely, the side slots “click” into place, you may need to make the front slots bigger slightly.

3. Dry fit the upper hull side assembly onto the chassis – simply click the hull into place, while next up the “J16” angled hull supports need their locating tabs slightly altered, then carefully add the “J16” supports to the actual hull ends ONLY – do not glue the supports to the chassis, just hold in place to the hull end and add a tiny drop of Tamiya thin to hold it there until dry. These steps may sound tedious, but if you intend to have a fully painted interior after the building side of things are done it should be a simple matter of carefully clicking the upper hull sides to the lower hull after the interior painting is complete. Modeller beware - this is the path that I chose to tread - It worked for me on this occasion! After the upper hull sides are fitting nicely it’s time to build up the hull roof and driver’s delicately louvered cupola, this is beautifully rendered by Meng. The photoetched louvre rests are somewhat thick. You may need to anneal these and fold using an etch-mate or similar. The roof section is supplied as a one-piece affair, with separate roof ventilation grills. The grills themselves are moulded nicely, but the slots do require a little cleaning up. The numerous rope crew handrails attached to the underside of the roof in reality are also supplied and are a nice addition. No.543 “Bulle” differed in having a slightly different upper gun armour strip, this was easily fashioned from scrap etch and deleted crew steps, as well as A

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Meng A7V Tank (Krupp) • Kit No.TS-017

Chipping via the hairspray technique is a quick, easy way to weather large areas.

Chassis/lower hull preshaded in Tamiya XF-65 Field Grey and a mix of X-18 Semi-Gloss Black/ Gunze H406 Brown.

B having extra viewing slits and

straighter-edged track guards. This is once again where it pays to check differences between individual A7Vs. I ended up drilling and pinning all of the nicely detailed external hatches – if you are building it buttoned up you won’t have this hassle! The main crew doors also need their bottom row of rivets added – Meng have incorrectly left these as recesses in the etch strips. I added my rivets simply by adding blobs of Testor’s Clear Cement. Finally, all the weapons and mounts were cleaned up and assembled, the 57mm MaximNordenfelt QF cannon assembly supplied is very nice indeed. Meng gives you all the Maxim MG’s required, as well as ammunition, rifles and even the rarely-seen Bergmann sub-machine guns!

INTERIOR AND LOWER HULL PAINTING BEGINS Interior painting commences with a light primer coat of Tamiya Liquid Surface Primer thinned with Tamiya’s own Lacquer Thinners. This will serve for a smooth, light surface to lay on the following interior colours to come. A face mask must be worn due the strong fumes. There has been some degree of controversy over the years as to the exact interior colours of the A7V. The majority of period pics show at least the access doors in a darker shade, with the vehicle number painted in white. This would seem an obvious colour choice given opening a stark white side door on the battlefield would seem hazardous, however there exists a quite clear photo of No.504 “Schnuck” after capture possessing a pale coloured door with “504”painted in black! In the end I decided to rely on a plausible theory, for the majority of the interior to receive a worn whitish shade to assist in vision for A7V crews, and the main access doors

to remain in a worn white/field grey finish. The corners, brackets and shade areas of the interior received a thinned coat of Tamiya Acrylic XF-65 Field Grey. At the same time I also painted exterior surfaces of the chassis and lower hull in a misty coat of Tamiya XF-65 Field Grey. On the high-wearing areas and worn edges I sprayed an “iron” shade from a mix of X-18 Semi-Gloss Black and Gunze H406 Chocolate Brown. This will serve for a chipped basecoat to be revealed via the “Hairspray Technique”. The interior surfaces received a generous coat of decanted hairspray via the airbrush (pic 16). A very thin mix of XF-2 White and XF-4 Yellow/Green was sprayed next onto all major interior areas in a streaky fashion to simulate a worn white shade.

WEATHERING THE INTERIOR Chipping commenced using a small dish of Windex/tap water and a worn paintbrush. I usually use an old worn-out sable brush for large areas, with a smaller brush and sharpened toothpick for the edges and hard to reach areas. All major subassemblies were then sealed with a decent coat of “Klear” floor polish prior to washes to commence. A quick pin wash of the interior’s detail was carried out with a mix of raw umber oil paint diluted with white spirit. I added an odd extra chip here -and there with straight black or raw umber oils. The driver’s station had its various details picked out using a fine brush and Vallejo acrylics. The chequer plate flooring then received some different earth toned pigments to add a bit of muck, this was sealed using Pigment fixer and Tamiya Lacquer Thinners as fixing agents. I added the odd oil/grease stain to the interior flooring and hull sides using diluted oils.

Close up of a chipped crew seat after sealing with Klear.

The lower chassis painted and weathered prior to upper hull fitment.

Meng’s rendition of the caterpillar-style bogie. Meng appears to have done their homework with the chassis.

Primed, masked and ready to go!

Pre-shade/guide coat in Tamiya XF-27 Black Green.

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LOWER HULL WEATHERING AND INTERIOR DETAILS

Base colours applied.

Decals and logos added.

Meng’s nicely rendered tracks painted prior to pigment application.

The Maxim MGs painted and weathered.

The chassis weathering proved to be reasonably labour intensive, due to the A7V having nooks and crannies everywhere. To achieve a dried “muddy” look to the chassis I used two methods – the tried and tested method of using pigments sealed with fixer to weather virtually unseen areas, with the more visible, localized mud areas simulated using a product I hadn’t used before – Artists “Modelling Paste” mixed with finely ground pigments. Although somewhat “goopy” to use, I’m sure with more experimentation I may use this product again. After adding stains via diluted oils to certain areas, the idlers and sprockets were added. All the contact surfaces of the running gear were metalized using ground graphite and silver pencil. To enhance the raised surfaces and to add a worn look to the bogies I carefully dry-brushed some details with black and raw umber oils. With the lower hull and chassis weathering essentially complete, it was time to clip the upper hull sides over the lower hull and finish off this stage by adding the Nordenfelt cannon and MG’s. It’s a pity really that after spending some time building up and finishing Meng’s nicely rendered interior it’s gone forever once buttoned up – however well-known modeller and author Steve Zaloga took the novel approach of leaving off the entire side of his A7V build to reveal all details kept within!

ROOF ON - TIME FOR EXTERIOR PAINTING

The three batches of mixed MIG pigments – Light, Medium, Dark. Handy for next time!

The tracks weathered and metalized.

Before and after – E.T Model’s nice etch bike update set. The bicycle painted up and added to the roof of the vehicle.

With the interior hatches sealed off with Tamiya tape to avoid any ingress of external paint, it was time to add the upper roof to the hull sides. This proved to be reasonably pain free and requiring just a light application of Tamiya thin glue applied one section at a time. The lower chassis was masked off with Tamiya tape and Post-It notes prior to a coat of thinned Tamiya Liquid Surface Primer. Like the questionable interior colours of the A7V, there has also been some debate over time of what exterior paint shade may have been used on the A7V. Some sources state that a generic “grey” or “field grey” was most likely factory applied prior to delivery to service. Some witness accounts also mention differing green shades. Numerous A7V’s are depicted in period photos of having quite lurid, multi-coloured

camouflage schemes involving large bands, lozenges or splotches/ dapples of what is generally accepted as being “clay yellow”, red/brown and possibly another shade. These schemes appear to be applied at unit level at different stages of the A7V’s service therefore it may require some degree of research on a particular vehicle in the correct timeframe prior to laying on exterior paint. In this case, as No.543 appears to be depicted in a rather monotone finish at the time it was nicknamed “Bulle” I decided to stick with an all over greenish “Feld Grau” finish. I applied Tamiya’s XF-27 Black Green as a sort of pre-shade or guide for the field grey to follow. Next up a diluted mix of Tamiya XF-65 Field Grey was applied to the exterior of the vehicle in a streaky, random fashion allowing some of the previous shade work to show through. Tamiya XF-21 Sky was added to the field grey mix and applied to the upper side panels and roof areas to break up the slab-like sides. The “Bulle” and “IV’ logos were brush painted on using Vallejo’s white thinned with tap water and a drop or two of retarder. Meng’s kit-supplied decal crosses were used for all 4 sides – the front and rear require some degree of “persuasion” due to the underlying rivets! Microsol and Microset were used liberally as well as gentle applications of a hair dryer to make the crosses conform. Meng’s detailed and durable workable tracks were treated to a coat of Gunze Chocolate Brown to simulate a rusted iron shade. This will serve to show through the track weathering to follow.

WEATHERING “BULLE” I began with a dark pin wash of white-spirit diluted raw umber oils to make all the fine details “pop”. As this is a WW1 build it required the necessary element – mud! Period pics show A7Vs with all degrees of wear and tear, but in this case I didn’t want to smear the entire model in muddy pigments. I decided to make it “well used” vehicle with the mud kept to the obvious areas on the lower surfaces. First off I used a combination of white-spirit diluted MIG Abteilung Light Mud oils and light earth coloured pigments to add dust effects to certain areas and rivets. The light earth pigments can be gently scrubbed into the A

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Meng A7V Tank (Krupp) • Kit No.TS-017

B paintwork to blend in. To enhance

the prominent details and rivets I gently drybrushed the raised details using undiluted black and raw umber oils. This is an oldschool technique but I have found by using oils some interesting effects can be achieved. As this is such a slab-sided vehicle, I tackled each separate hull plate, hatch or door as a separate entity rather than try to weather the entire hull in one attempt. This also meant I could finish one area and come back at a later time to begin another. MIG Abteilung and Winsor & Newton Raw Umber, Black, Light Mud, Faded Grey, Yellow Ochre and numerous other oil shades were used to add scratches, rust and general discoloration to the armour plating. Coloured pencils were also used to add scratches and marks. After leaving the weathering to dry off over a couple of days, I gave the model a light application of Testors “Dullcote” to seal in the previous weathering steps and give a nice, flat finish. I often find that after applying a matt varnish I may have to go back over the model to add some of the weathering effects back – the varnish somehow has a habit of making dust effects disappear! In this case, I carefully reapplied some paler dust pigment areas back onto “Bulle”. Meng’s nicely detailed Maxim MG’s were brush painted in several shades, using Vallejos. A few of the MG’s were painted in a WW1 Hardedge scheme, just to be a little different. These were then weathered with oils. A lead pencil and graphite applied with a cotton tip was added to access door entries, hatches, handles and the like to simulate wear and tear caused by the crew.

WEATHERING TRACKS The tracks received a decent layer of earth coloured pigments. I created various effects by making up a batch of light, medium and dark shade of pigments to vary the dried mud effects on the tracks, taking care to leave the wearing edges of the tracks exposed. Dark diluted oils can be flicked onto the muddy tracks to add even more variance. The pigments were then sealed in with AK Pigment Fixer. To finish off the caterpillar-style track lengths I added a nice, iron/ steel effect to the wearing edges by way of No.1 finger and ground graphite. This simulates this style of track wear well without it resembling bright aluminum. These

Details were added to suggest a WWI-era bicycle.

Two chains were added to the roof of the A7V too.

Weathering began with a dark pin wash of white-spirit diluted raw umber oils.

A glimpse of the interior may be seen through the open hatch.

Lower hull weathering detail.

The rusty interior treadplate may be seen here.

wear areas can then be polished with a cotton tip. After finishing off the track runs were carefully placed onto the sprockets and wound into place.

FINAL TOUCHES Period photos of A7Vs in action usually show little stowage on top of the vehicle. This may have possibly been due to the large ventilation vents having to remain open for crew ventilation or many other possible reasons. In some photos it appears that the limited items carried were usually camouflage nets and towing chains

Note the footstep painted in bright green.

A view of the bicycle from a different angle.

The rear of the superstructure with its two Maxim guns.

of differing sizes. One would surmise that these were frequently needed to recover stricken vehicles, given the A7V’s dubious reputation! Chains were added to the top decks from the AK “pre rusted” range, with the large type used. These proved to be annoying, having to be repainted due to the “rusting” product that AK used rubbing off. A touch of graphite finished the chains off. One period photo clearly shows an A7V of Abteilung 3 having “liberated” bicycles thrown onto the rear deck – this would be perfect

to add a little detail. Tamiya’s 1:35 “German Soldiers with Bicycles” (kit No.240) was duly purchased, along with E.T Model’s photoetched update set. This cheap set really freshens up Tamiya’s aging mouldings along with altering kit parts slightly to give an earlier WWI appearance. After removing the later style bike frame toolbox, hollowing out the headlight and adding a small bulb the bike was painted using Tamiya semi-gloss black with Vallejo white rubber tyres, as per bikes of the period. The “booty bike” was then weathered the same way as the rest of the

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A lead pencil and graphite applied with a cotton tip was added to access door entries, hatches, handles and the like to simulate wear and tear.

Modelspec Meng 1:35 A7V Tank (Krupp). Kit No.TS-017 Accessories Used Tamiya Item No. 240 - “German Soldiers Bicycle with Bicycles” (No.240) E.T Model E35-166 - Bicycle Update Set AK Interactive - “Rusty Tow Chain – Big”

The model was sealed with Testor’s Dullcote prior to final weathering.

vehicle using oils and pigments. A few last details were added to “Bulle”, these being a retractable front crew step fashioned from scrap photoetch and painted and weathered to suit, and what I believe are upper side hatch “latch bars” on chains added to both sides, these are noticeable in

Tools and Materials several period pics – I couldn’t find these mentioned in any A7V text, I am assuming that’s what they were used for! A final going over with a touch of raw umber oil on an odd armour edge, and my very satisfying first foray into 1:35th WW1 armour was complete.

CONCLUSION Meng has released a wellresearched, value for money, detailed example of a 1st Lot Krupp A7V. With the parts layout of the kit it would not be a stretch to imagine Meng could easily release several A7V derivatives from this tooling. Well done Meng. ■ Coloured pencils were used to add scratches and scuffs.

Tamiya Lacquer thinners, Tamiya Extra Thin liquid Cement, Tamiya Liquid Surface Primer, Super Glue, Artist’s Modelling Paste, Testors Clear Part Cement, Vallejo Plastic Putty, Tamiya Superfine Airbrush, Delta generic Airbrush Paints and Finishing products Tamiya – XF-65 Field Grey, X-18 Semi-Gloss Black, XF-2 White, XF-4 Yellow Green, XF-21 Sky GSI Creos – H406 Chocolate Brown Vallejo – 79017 Beige, 70951 White, 70814 Burnt Red, 70950 Black, 71006 Cam light Green MIG Abteilung Oils – Light Mud, Flesh Shadow, Olive Green, Field grey Windsor and Newton Oils – Raw Umber, Lamp Black, Yellow Ochre, White MIG Pigments – Europe Dust, Light European Earth, Dry Mud, Dark Mud AK Enamel Wash – Light Rust AK Pigment Fixer Enamel Fluid “Klear” floor polish Testors 1160 Dullcote References Used Osprey “Mark IV vs A7V”, “Mephisto” (Mark Whitmore), Tankograd “Sturmpanzer - A7V First of the Panzers” ✓ Excellent detail; accuracy; clever engineering; good value for money. ✗ High parts count; some tricky fitting; missing engines… Available from Available from good model shops. Meng Models are distributed in the UK by Creative Models - www.creativemodels.co.uk

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KIT PREVIEW

Revell 1:35 Dingo 2 GE A3.3 ‘PatSi’ • Kit No. 03242

Seats and other basic interior details are included.

Andy King reviews the contents of Revell’s 1:35 scale Dingo 2 GE A3.3 ‘PatSi’

Exterior surface details.

DINGO, IMPROVED T

he Dingo is a APC too bad. (Armoured Personnel Even though the tyres are vinyl, Carrier) based on the the tread pattern is good but Unimog chassis that is unfortunately on my sample one used by the German Bundeswehr. of them is concave in the middle With a ‘V’ shaped hull to withstand all around the circumference mine blasts, it was also designed so I’ll need to contact Revell to protect the crew from rifle directly (who are very good with fire, artillery fragments and NBC replacement parts) or better still threats. look for resin replacements. The Dingo is normally equipped The chassis is a multi-part with the FLW 200 weapon system assembly - and I mean multi-part but it may be also fitted with a - and quite a complex shape so .50 cal MG or an automatic 40mm have fun getting it square and grenade launcher. level. There is an engine supplied This version particular but it is basic and will require a lot version featured better crew of extra work should you wish to protection, a hard top over the display the model with the bonnet cargo platform and IR (Infra Red) (or hood) open as there is a lot driving lights to improve night missing, otherwise for what you vision capability. The designation can see through the chassis it’s ‘PatSi’ is short for Patrouillen und just fine. Sicherungsfahrzeug (or Patrol and The cabin interior is pretty Security Vehicle). good apart from the pin marks Featuring over 200 parts, we mentioned earlier and with the are presented with eight sprues addition of some cabling and moulded in a dark green styrene, seat belts it should make it busy two clear sprues, four vinyl tyres, enough for what you can see with a decal sheet and a length of steel the doors open. I’m not sure that wire for the antenna. the rectangular indents in the Considering the age of the kit roof where the weapons system I was surprised at the amount is mounted should be there so of flash and seam lines that are further research will be required. present. There are also sink marks The weapons that are supplied in areas that will be very tricky are not brilliant and would be to eliminate such as between the better replaced with aftermarket crew doors and the rear view side items as the end of the barrel on mirrors. Pin marks are mainly the .50 cal is wrong and there is a A nicely cast bonus resin confined to hard to see areas, pin mark underneath the breech, figure is also included. but they are present on the cabin the 40mm grenade launcher interior and roof and will need to suffers from a sinkage on one side be removed. Fortunately they are and a pin mark on the other. raised so clean up shouldn’t be The glazing for the windows in

the kit is clear enough if a bit on the thick side plus there is some distortion on the pieces for the doors that will be very difficult to sand out and polish up after. It may be worth contacting Revell for another set just in case you do decide to thin the side windows and it doesn’t work out. The decal sheet is okay but some items are printed out of register such as the small German flags on the licence plates and the round ones with ‘14’ on them. Three schemes are shown on the instructions, two of which are Bundeswehr vehicles in the ISAF role in Afghanistan 2012 and 2013 plus a vehicle from 2015 but as they are all the same it’s just the decals that make the difference. Colours quoted are from Revell’s own range of paints. With some extra detailing, especially on the inside, this can be made into an interesting model, particularly with the fact you can position the crew doors open. The biggest disappointment is the moulding quality as although pin marks can be removed or filled, sink marks are harder to hide especially in the areas mentioned in the above text. Recommended, but I would advise new tyres and weapons for a start. ■

Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model retailers. For details visit www. revell.de/en, @RevellGermany or facebook.com/Revell

Textured non-slip tread on the roof.

The chassis rails with sink marks.

A simple engine is included.

A number of the detail parts suffer from sink marks.

Side windows.

The vinyl tyres.

The kit decal sheet. Windscreen.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Dragon 1:35 T-34 /76 Mod. 1943 “Formochka” w/Commander’s Cupola • Kit No. 6603

SEE HOW THEY RUN PART ONE – VEHICLE AND CREW

Radek Pituch converts Dragon’s 1:35 scale T-34/76 into a German Beutepanzer in action in the Ukraine during 1943/44.

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D

uring the entire duration of the Second World War, Germany forces made extensive use of captured enemy vehicles. This was seen on both the Western and Eastern fronts. Large numbers of Polish and French equipment were utilised from 1939/40 onwards but even more was captured following the invasion of Soviet Union. Many light tanks and most of all the iconic T-34 tanks were extensively used by German forces enabling some units, like the 2. SS Panzerdivision “Das Reich” after 3rd battle of Kharkov in early 1943, to equip a whole company with “beute tie vier und dreissig”. The T-34 was always amongst my favourite WWII AFVs so when I saw a photo of a well used, captured and modified model 1943 with pressed turret and commanders cupola with a German crew posing in front of it for the camera, I knew I had to build it. The photo I found at beutepanzer.ru was only available in small resolution and unfortunately the cameraman wasn’t smart enough to shoot the whole tank (despite the fact that it was a interesting example with pressed turret, and added hull and turret schurzen brackets taken from a Pz.kpfw. III! On the other hand, this gave me the advantage to take some artistic license when it came to the sides of the tank that were not visible in the photo. The photo was obviously taken either in late 1943 or early 1944, since the tank wears a whitewash and the photo gives a wintery feel, so my idea was to build this tank and add some crew to feel the empty spaces in the hatches. A

Basic construction was straightforward. Parts were cleaned up with files and sandpaper

The kit’s moulded-on fenders were clipped off in preparation for the photo-etched replacements.

The rough edges were tidied up with a new hobby blade and sandpaper.

The basic vehicle takes shape.

Exhausts were drilled out and cleaned up.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Dragon 1:35 T-34 /76 Mod. 1943 “Formochka” w/Commander’s Cupola • Kit No. 6603

The idea for the model was to replace as much with scratchbuilding as possible

B Building a Beutepanzer My model choice was the DML offering. I only had to change its wheels because the kit comes with a rather bizarre configuration for this specific late 76mm gun armed version. Although T-34s were often equipped with various sets of wheels I have never seen a

photo of a pressed turret version with commanders cupola and the typical for 1942 production wheel layout consisting of two rubber rimmed casted wheels and three all steel wheels on each side. This can be seen on earlier pressed turret vehicles but not on the ones with added commander’s cupola that

went into production before battle of Kursk. I chose a resin wheel set from Russian brand Komplekt Zip. The wheels have a interesting rubber band pattern having smooth outer surface and spokes in the rubber (we could call this an interim solution between the common

rubber rimmed wheels with spokes and notches on the edge of the band of earlier production T-34s and later ones seen on T-34/85s with solid rubber bands). I have seen this types used on many different versions of the tank as well as on some SPGs like the SU 122.

I painted the model in Lifecolor's Olivegereen. Here the turret is already sprayed with gloss varnish

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I mostly use Pactra's gloss, then I applied a layer hairspray

Once the hairspray dried, I applied first layer of Tamiya’s X-2 Gloss White. Gloss paint has a harder surface and doesn’t absorb as much as other paints

Using an older brush and warm water, I started removing the white paint from the hairspray. After this was ready I applied another layer of hairspray and white paint on side skirts and removed it again to get more depth.

Improvements My friend Stephen Reid supplied me with nicely homemade photoetched fenders and finely cast resin air intake louvers, so I could easily replace the kit ones. The hull schurzen brackets as well as the turret skirts were made of sheet styrene (0.2 mm thick), the supporting arms for the brackets were cut out of aluminium sheet of similar thickness. I used offset aluminium sheet used in printing works. Another thing I had to upgrade was the inner part of the driver’s hatch, which unfortunately has the grab handles of locking mechanism wrong. I worked here with some plastic rods and modelling knife and a piece of copper rod for the triangular handle. An uncommon feature of this particular T-34 (and also seen on some other tanks) is a tube-like shape - kind of a counterweight - on the tip of the gun barrel. It is really hard to say what it is exactly. It might easily have been a mockup to help their own troops recognise the tank as one of their own making it look a bit similar to German types. The counterweight itself was done using Magic Sculp. I also improved other details like the headlamp or tool box stored on the fender. The whole model needed vast improvement on welding. I used Green Stuff two-part putty for this job. I rolled thin lengths of Green Stuff and applied them to proper areas with fingers and my modelling spatula made of old paintbrush stick later adding texture with one of my sculpting tools (a purpose shaped toothpick). Green Stuff hardens in more than an hour so after its application to the model you have plenty of time to work with it. When necessary I remove excess just by cutting the putty with a modeling knife and soften the edges with a fine brush soaked with water. You can use warm water for better performance. A

To emphasise the contours and to give a more faded look to the paint, I applied a neutral wash (brown-grey in color) from Mig Productions.

To increase the deepest areas of the turret I applied pin washes with Wilder’s deep shadow wash. I painted on some streaks, again with neutral wash.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Dragon 1:35 T-34 /76 Mod. 1943 “Formochka” w/Commander’s Cupola • Kit No. 6603

The removal of hairspray-based white wash was done on the hull as well.

To get more variety and again depth in whites in some random areas I applied whites from Vallejo.

The paints were used again in random areas but this time with a sponge. I tend to apply some thin layer of retarder at time when I do this so the paint blends nicely

B

A view of the hull

Comparison of the finished turret and hull still needing attention

Applying neutral washes to emphasise contours,. To spare my paint trays I use aluminium foil and after it's used I replace it with new one.

AK Interactive fuels stains medium was used to imitate fuel leaks.

Brown-grey wash is clearly visible here and how well it goes with white wash.

25 more of the neutral wash based effects were done this time speckling.

A view of the model at this stage of weathering.

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Instead of using any burnishing agents, I decided to paint the tracks with a custom made mix of earth and black Tamiya colours

Tracks were then polished with two grades of sandpaper – the first one to remove the paint, the second to polish bare metal.

I wanted a thick layer of mud sticking to the tracks so mud effects were done by mixing Vallejo dark slate grey pigment with Vallejo’s dark earth paste. This added thicker grain to the mixture.

B Whitewash My paint plan was to apply a relatively fresh white wash, something we don’t actually see often on models these days since the moment the hairspray technique became widespread modellers tend to paint their models in heavily worn winter schemes. To do this I planned to use the hairspray technique as well but just to help myself in creating more subtle worn effects, like the tank was painted white just days before we see it now. Since I wanted to prevent the model from becoming too pale, I decided to create the fresh white scheme in several layers to get more depth and textures in the colour. After applying a layer of gloss varnish onto the model painted in an olive green shade resembling 4BO Green, I applied a thin layer of hairspray and when it dried sprayed a layer of Tamiya X-2 Gloss White. Use a glossy paint enabled me not to use another layer of varnish and so after doing some initial removal of the first layer of paint on hairspray. I let it dry and applied another layer of hair spray and applied more whites on the model with an airbrush.

Wear and Weathering Since each tank needs a lot of maintenance, especially when in the field and during combat, I removed more paint from the area of the engine inspection hatch on top of the engine compartment. Despite its legendary reputation as a perfect all-around tank, the T-34 needed no less mechanical attention than its German counterparts. I also removed more paint from crew hatches, gun barrel, rear fenders and some other areas where the crew would have rubbed off the paint in their daily routine entering and leaving their vehicle. After the second layer of white was done, some areas of the green base were visible. I worked these A

As for the hull, I started with a layer of dark earth colour pigments (dark slate grey mixed with light siena and green earth tones)

This was then fixed with pigment fixer from Mig Productions.

Afterwards I applied the same structural mud as on the tracks. I applied it alternately - layer of readymade putty and tapping pigment mixture into the wet surfaces of the hull where the thick mud was previously applied.

I also added some static grass to add more realism and variety.

Wheels were treated in a similar manner but here I also worked a bit with highly diluted Tamiya earth tones (XF-52 Flat Earth mixed with Deck Tan)

To differentiate the depth of mud on the wheels I applied some Tamiya Smoke. It is transparent paint that nicely blends in the structural mud making it look darker and more wet at the same time.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Dragon 1:35 T-34 /76 Mod. 1943 “Formochka” w/Commander’s Cupola • Kit No. 6603

The model more or less done

B with a neutral wash from Mig

Productions. In previous years I used to mix some oil paints to achieve this gray-brown wash for my models but since we can help ourselves with ready-made products, it was a good solution to speed up the paintjob. I applied some overall filters in layers of this wash to blend the white and to have a good background for further weathering.

Paint Effects The next thing to do was to add more detailed paint effects. To do this I used Vallejo’s matt white, having already the whole tank painted in a dirty shade of white this was a good solution to add some spills of paint made by the crew during the paintjob of the tank and to show some more layers of white again. At this point I’d like to get back a little bit to the pre-white wash stage in regards to the turret skirts. Since I wanted them to be directly taken from a disabled Pzkpw III I painted them in a rather typical Kursk period German camouflage scheme consisting of sand base with red brown/olive green wavy lines. Later on it was all covered with white but some of the areas are eventually visible after the process of wearing and tearing the whites. To add some more vibrant colours I applied a three digit red number to the skirts which was later on covered in white. The idea was that the number was no longer

A

Mig Productions’ Wet Effects Medium is thick and shiny, perfect for imitating moisture and adding glossy appearance to thick lumps of mud

To add some more colour difference to the surfaces I used AMMO of Mig streaking effects for winter vehicles.

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Adding polished steel effects in the most used areas.

The driver was done as a less than half figure. A Hornet head was used here.

The driver adds a lot to the empty space of the hull hatch. It is also a nice and interesting detail.

The layout of the sculpted figures is clearly visible here.

Working on the commander…

Painting the commander.

...and the gunner

The gunner in place, smoking his pipe.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Dragon 1:35 T-34 /76 Mod. 1943 “Formochka” w/Commander’s Cupola • Kit No. 6603

The crew fitted to the vehicle.

B needed by the crew and they simply covered it with white paint. The whites blended in nicely covering most parts of the tactical number making it yet visible. Just to have a minimum of German markings on the tank I painted two national crosses on the side-rear parts of the schurzen – to prevent friendly fire in case some inexperienced gunner aims for the silhouette. For creating oil and fuel leaks I used AK Interactive medium designed for this purpose. It has a nice greasy and shiny consistence and works perfectly for the effect I wanted to achieve. At this stage I also made use of Van Dyck Brown oil paint for long streaks in the rear side part of the tank coming from under the large engine grill. I also used the speckling to add some random splashes of dirt or fuel all over the tank. This is done by diluting desired colors and splashing them on the surface with older, slightly worn brush that is perfect for such actions.

CREW FIGURES As for the figures, I decided to attempt some semi-relaxed, yet anxious poses, especially as it comes to the commander, who is scanning the horizon with his binoculars with a smile on his face, observing the retreat of enemy troops after a successful defensive action or counterattack. “Look at them run!” he says to the rest of his men. The loader, sitting in his hatch is smoking a pipe, the gunner is perhaps somewhere inside the turret or gone to do his business, the driver gazes in the direction where the battle still rings.

The figures were formed from Magic Sculp plus some resin components like Hornet heads, hands and resin shoe castings. I usually work that way to make things easier and faster. For me the most interesting part is realizing an idea as a whole that is why if I have a lot to sculpt I like taking shortcuts like these ready made parts. After the figures were attached to the tank I added some stowage including spare tracks. These were taken from Masterclub’s fine metal track link set which has casting numbers on each link, a feature absent on Friuls which I used for this model. I also added the timeless bucket seen on so many tanks, some shovels and towing rope. And voila, there it is, finished.

CONCLUSION Since I haven’t done any white washed vehicles for a long time, this was an enjoyable build and an interesting experiment with a relatively fresh winter scheme, something I haven’t done before. Part Two of this article will cover the works on the base’s groundwork and additional figures planned to go along with the tank on a small diorama. Happy modelling! ■

Overall view of the completed model.

Mini Modelspec Dragon 1:35 T-34 /76 Mod. 1943 “Formochka” w/Commander’s Cupola. Kit No. 6603 ✓ Good detail; excellent moulding. ✗ Unusual wheel configuration. Available from All good model shops Worldwide. Dragon kits are distributed in the UK by The Hobby Company Limited www.hobbyco.net

Rating

Next time, we will place this vehicle in a scene.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

War Paint Studios 1:6 scale “Bloody Omaha – the 100 Yard Dash Into Hell”

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“BLOODY OMAHA -

THE 100 YARD DASH INTO HELL”

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29TH INFANTRY DIVISION D-DAY 1944

Everything about this figure is impressive - the action, the pose, the size. This is a 1:6 scale figure. It stands just shy of 12” tall. The kit comes in a big box. I knew I had to build it. The subject does not need a lot of introduction. D-Day, June 6 1944. It was the largest invasion of Northern Europe in history. Normandy and the code named beaches have been etched in history. Two American divisions landed at Omaha Beach on D-Day, the 1st Division- the “Big Red One” and the 29th “Blue and Gray”. It is well known the hardships these soldiers faced. They were lucky to make it off the beach alive. This figure could be painted representing either division. This figure was mastered by John Rosengrant. He did phenomenal job of sculpting and engineering the kit. The kit has 18 pieces. In order to be able to transport this big guy to the various model shows I travel to, he could not be permanently attached to a base. He has to fit under and airline seat or in carry on luggage. Of course if you do not plan to buy an extra seat on an airliner, your assembly process is much quicker. I contacted Japanese modeler Kazufumi Tomori who constructed the same figure and shared his construction technique – magnets! Larger parts are secured with magnets and the figure is capable of being disassembled for transport. After a few long sessions of test fitting and experimentation, the decision was to attach the following parts with magnets: Left arm; head; mess pack and shovel; first aid pouch; right hand with rifle. I used two sizes of Rare Earth magnets- a small 1:16” and a larger 5:16” disk shaped magnet. On each piece of the kit, one magnet is slightly recessed, the other mate is slightly proud of the surface. That way when they are put together, they lock into place. To hold up this massive hunk of resin, I used a 3:16” solid brass rod. This rod was inserted into the right foot and ankle and up into the lower leg. In the base was a matching hollow brass tube – 7:32” outside diameter. The rod would slide into the tube to facilitate removing the figure from the base for transport. Even if this was not designed to come off the base, I would use the same sized rod. It offers a secure long lasting support. The figure was painted with a mix of Vallejo Acrylics-both Model Color and Air Color. I tend to use whatever will work for the color and finish desired. The base was a beautiful piece of fractured walnut burl. The split face of the burl formed the beach slope and the other sides were sanded and finished in a semi gloss poly. For the painting process a “painting base” was fashioned out of scrap lumber. The pictures tell the story- so here we go! ■

Matt Wellhouser builds and finishes War Paint Studios’ impressive 1:6 scale figure – including the use of magnets for assembly.

Here is the brass rod inserted into the lower right calf. The portion that meets the base has smaller brass rod crossways to keep the figure from twisting.

The walnut base was fitted with brass tubing that will accept the figure. It was secured with epoxy.

Here are the Rare Earth magnets holding the left arm together.

This shows the magnet for the arm. Both the head and the arm have a small brass rod next to the magnet to act as a key, so the parts assemble straight.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

War Paint Studios 1:6 scale “Bloody Omaha – the 100 Yard Dash Into Hell”

The figure is primed and all parts are again test fitted prior to painting with colour.

This demonstrates the overall size of the figure.

The face was painted first. It was base coated with Vallejo Brown Sand with Burnt Cadmium Red for basic shadows. I added more Burnt cadmium Red, Black and Raw Umber for shadows. Basic Skintone was added to the base mix for highlights. All of these highlights were kept very thin - 80% water/ 20% paint mix. The hair was a mix of Black and Burnt Umber, with highlights of Black and Orange Brown mixed in.

The helmet was base coated with Tamiya Olive Drab (airbrushed). The very top was highlighted with a thin mix of Olive Drab and Desert Yellow. Once dry, the helmet received Burnt Umber and Black oil paint wash. The wash was allowed to set for about 20 minutes then removed with a brush slightly dampened with mineral spirit. The 29th Infantry insignia was painted with Vallejo acrylics. The net was painted with Vallejo Khaki. The edges of the helmet had some scuffs and marks laid in with a silver artist pencil.

Painting progressed and the helmet was added to check the facial colour and see how it all tied together. I usually go back and adjust highlights and shadows at this stage.

The finished head and helmet

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Other ancillary parts were painted- the canteen, bayonet, first aid pouch, mess kit, backpack.

The rifle was base coated with Tamiya Buff. Then oil paint was used to simulate the wood grain. It is applied with a brush. The brush marks help simulate the grain. Since the right hand was attached, it was painted last. The barrel and metal parts were painted a dark grey then buffed with pencil graphite.

The gas mask bag was painted with a base of Tamiya SemiGloss Black, then shaded by adding a drop of flesh colour to the black. The stencil was free-hand painted with Vallejo. Because the base was a somewhat slippery finish, a sharpened toothpick was used to remove the excess paint from the stencil. One finished, it as coated with a semi-gloss clear.

Work commenced on painting the figure itself. Basic colour was applied with an airbrush. Plastic wrap and tape keeps greasy paw prints off the figure. It is easier to hand hold for some of the painting operations. Tamiya Khaki, Khaki Drab and various mixes of those colours are used. For areas that are wet and damp, I darkened the base colour and added washes using Citadel Devlan Mud. I also used various combinations of gloss, semi gloss and matte clear acrylic varnishes.

Painting of details are completed. Various mixtures of Vallejo Canvas, Olive Drab, Khaki, Green Brown, Olive Green are used. Flat Black is used to paint the hardware - buckles and snaps. Brass and silver artist pencils are used simulate wear on the edges of metal items.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

War Paint Studios 1:6 scale “Bloody Omaha – the 100 Yard Dash Into Hell”

The First Aid pouch is held on by a small magnet.

Details are painted on the Test fitting of the mess kit and shovel. I tried to vary The bayonet was attached with a brass rod. It can be belt and life preserver. the colours avoid making the figure look monotone. removed for transport.

The lower portion of the figure is painted. Details are painted on the leggings. The boots are painted.

Using a brass coloured artist’s pencil, I highlighted the snaps on the ammo pouches and other parts.

48 Model Military International - November 2015 The completed figure.

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The base was taped off to avoid ruining the finish. The receptacle for the foot was reinforced with two part epoxy putty. This gave a good engagement surface for the foot. A scrap piece of tube protected the permanent tube form glue and sand. Then using white glue, matte medium and water a mix was painted on the areas to receive sand. A couple coats of sand made a convincing beach. The sand was sifted through a fine kitchen strainer (don’t tell the missus!). Sand mixtures were applied to the figure mainly in the lower areas. I tried to simulate a damp person with beach sand stuck everywhere. (remember the last time you went to the beach?)

Here is the figure’s right foot and how it attaches to the base.

I attempted to portray the GI running up Omaha Beach trying to reach cover. John Rosengrant did an outstanding job with the sculpture and dynamic pose. Although I would not recommend this kit to a beginner, it is something that more advanced figure modelers could complete. It certainly would add impact and be a conversation piece to anyone’s display cabinet.

This figure is so big, all of the steps to completion had to be planned and thought through before you glue assemble and paint.

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TANK BOY GALLERY

Asuka Sherman Firefly • Kit No. ASU35-027

TRACK INSURAN Takahiro Sumitomo presents his Asuka (ex-Tasca) Sherman Firefly heavily augmented with spare track armour.

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asca released their 1:35 scale Sherman IC Firefly Composite Hull back in 2012. This was Tasca’s third variation on the Firefly theme. Since then, the company has changed their name to Asuka, but the kit remains as good as it ever was. When Al Bowie reviewed the kit here in Model Military International magazine, he noted that the variant was fairly typical for an early Firefly 1C Hybrid and has a low bustle mid production turret

The kit comprises approx 540 parts in an Olive Drab styrene although many of these are not used and a large number of very useful spares will be left over for other Sherman projects. Most of the kit is made from existing Tasca Sprues however a new non-riveted lower hull is supplied and a new late transmission cover. The Firefly turret is very well done although there were no casting marks, which are prominent on the bustle of the real

thing. This is same turret included in Tasca's 35-011 VC Firefly and includes the thickened cheek of the mid production Low Bustle turret. The three types of radio box lids are included and the kit offers the D69993 Commander's cupola, which I do not believe Tasca has offered before. Two types of muzzle brakes are included along with a superbly moulded B set antenna base with protective ring. Periscopes are included as either OD plastic or clear plastic and PE persicope

guards are included. The standard British stowage box is also included as well as a full figure of the tank Commander in beret and denim overalls. The excellent Taaca .50 cal is not included. The hull is the major feature of this kit and the cast section follows the contours of the real thing well and compares very well to photos of the real thing although it is missing the main frontal ID feature of a hybrid hull which is the small cast bumps on the lower and upper central glacis.

A. The rear deck is loaded with stowage. B. Many British and US crews welded spare track links to their Shermans for additional protection. C. A nice rear view of the stowage piled on the rear deck.

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A

ANCE Painting and Weathering The base paint colour is Mr Hobby Olive Drab. A wash of 502 Abteilung series – Brown Wash has been applied over this. Further weathering was achieved using AK interactive’s Streaking Grime, Vallejo Light Fresh and various oil paints. n

B

C

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SHOW REPORT

Tankfest 2015

TANKFEST 2015 Andrew Willis attends Bovington Tank Museum for this year’s sell-out Tankfest.

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ankfest 2015 was held once again on the last full weekend in June to coincide with Armed Forces Day, which is always the last Saturday in June. This year’s event was rather special as it was able to re-unite the Tiger and Sherman tanks that had been used in the recent film Fury, starring Brad Pitt. It is likely that this extra publicity was responsible for the event being sold out on both days and sadly people without tickets had to be turned away at the gates. It should be noted that in future all Tankfests will more than likely be ticket only. This is due mainly for health and safety reasons and being able to have a control on the number of visitors.

MAIN ARENA As in previous years, the main arena was where most of the action was taking place. Both the morning and afternoon sessions were opened with a fast run around the track by the museum’s three Leopard tanks. There are two ex-Canadian C2 versions and an ex-German 1A1A1 version. The beauty of the Leopard tanks are that they are fast, manoeuvrable

and very reliable and are quite a sight chasing each other around the arena. While talking about reliability, I need to mention the hard work and dedication by not only the museum staff but also the army of volunteers who make this whole weekend event such a sell-out success. Not only do they service and repair the very old a nd at times temperamental vehicles they also man the gates and usher people around the site maintain safety of the public during vehicle manoeuvres among many other duties. Next up in the arena was a display of CVR vehicles including Scorpion, Scimitar and Samaritan. This was followed by the British Army with their usual impressive display of vehicles currently on active duty. This year they displayed Scimitar 2, Terrier armoured digger, Trojan armoured engineer vehicle, Titan armoured bridge launcher, Jackal 2 high mobility weapons platform, Coyote tactical support vehicle based on Jackal 2, Warrior infantry fighting vehicle and “Megatron” the now famous Challenger 2. There was then the first mock battle of the day which started with a Sea King helicopter from which a

detachment of Marines performed a rapid abseil descent into the arena. The opposing forces were provided by a section of troops on a Russian BRDM-2RKhb armoured car. Once the enemy had been dealt with it was time for lunch.

AFTERNOON DISPLAYS The afternoon displays started again with the three Leopards doing another fast series of circuits of the arena. This was followed by a selection of the museum’s wheeled vehicles

including Saracen, Saladin, Stalwart, their ex-Canadian Cougar and the ex-Iraqi BRDM2RKhb chemical reconnaissance vehicle. Then it was back to tanks starting with the M60A1 then M103 followed by M110A2 a self-propelled howitzer rather than a tank. Next up was NATO armour including Comet which had just had a major refit to keep it running, a Centurion BARV (Beach Armoured Recovery Vehicle) followed by a standard Centurion, Chieftain and Challenger I.

BRDM, Russian wheeled vehicle.

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5

Centurion.

Variation on a theme – Centurion BARV (Beach Armoured Recovery Vehicle).

Gulf War Challenger 1, “Churchill”.

Challenger 2.

There was then a section of ex-Russian and Cold War vehicles, which included an ex-Iraqi Chinese YW-701 command vehicle, an ACRV Russian artillery command vehicle, Chinese Type 59 and then the museums newest acquisition an ex-Polish T-72 which is of special interest as it is an early version with Gill armour on the sides.

HISTORICAL ARMOUR The next section was for historical armour that, due to their age and value, only did one lap of the arena. This consisted of a Morris light reconnaissance car, Daimler Dingo, Bren Gun Carrier, M16 halftrack, Matilda I, M3 Stuart another tank that had just been re-built to keep it in running order, T-34/85, Valentine Mk IX. Then came not one but three Shermans: the museum’s own M4A2(W) 76mm now more commonly known as Fury, an M4A2 75mm and an M4A1 75mm. They were then joined in the arena by a Panzer III L an Sd.Kfz. 251D half-track and the Tiger tank in preparation for the final mock battle that was to recreate the movie Fury. The battle featured re-enactors as Fallschirmjagers and Volkssturm putting up a last ditch defence against the American

troops and featured many explosions and firing of blanks. The battle brought this year’s Tankfest to a close for another year. Whilst all the displays were happening in the main arena there were a multitude of other things to see and do around the site. The museum itself was open and well worth a look round at the vast array of military vehicles on display, including the new tank factory scene. There were also a huge number of traders selling a vast range of things from arts and crafts to model and military books. There were also many re-enactors around the site ranging from World War One right up to Vietnam.

Chieftain tank with foliage camouflage.

NEXT YEAR I asked a member of staff how they would beat this year’s sell out show, which had been helped by the Fury movie promotion. He replied that next year it was planned to do a German themed show and they were negotiating to get the Elefant over from America and a Jagdpanther from Belgium as well as bring out some of the lesser-seen German vehicles in the museum. Very ambitious plans that would surely make for another sellout show next year. ■

November 2015 - Model Military International 53 Comet tank with canvas mantlet dust cover.

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SHOW REPORT

Tankfest 2015

The Museum’s Covenantor.

Jackal armoured car.

Leopard 1A1A1.

Canadian Leopard C2.

M3 Grant in striking desert camouflage.

M3 Stuart “Clementine”.

54 Model Military International - November 2015 M4A1 Sherman. Note the cast hull that defines this variant.

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Diesel powered M4A2 Sherman.

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M60A1.

Tiger “Red 131” in action.

A T-72 in Polish markings.

Trojan Combat Engineering Vehicle.

Saladin armoured car.

M103 – that is one BIG turret!

Panzer 38(t) on the prowl.

Mastiff 6x6 patrol vehicle with its distinctive slat armour panels.

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A round-up of the latest news and releases in 1:72 and 1:76

Revell

1:72 scale Soviet Battle Tank T-80BV • Kit No. 03106

Revell

1:72 scale M60A3 • Kit No. 03140

The M60A3 was introduced in May 1980, superseding the M60A2 and A1, a design developed in the late 1950s incorporating modern innovations such as a laser rangefinder, computerised fire control and weapon stabilisation system. Revell’s 1:72 scale kit comes in their standard box, with excellent artwork on the front, and consists of four sprues of tan styrene, a small decal sheet and a set of instructions. The moulding quality is excellent, with no flash, sink marks etc., and the surface detail is outstanding especially around the complex engine deck and rear plate. The turret looks very good in terms of shape and detail, with the canvas mantlet cover well modelled together with the canvas weather shield around the commander’s cupola MG. The turret basket might be a little thick in plastic, but could be replaced with aftermarket PE if desired. One small niggle is the fact that the main gun barrel is moulded in two halves which will mean a difficult seam to clean, especially around the concertina section near the mantlet. The lower hull and running gear are again very well modelled with separate suspension arms, shock absorbers and stops. The link and length tracks look well detailed, both inside and out, and should build well with the nicely detailed wheels and sprockets. The well-printed decal sheet provides markings for four vehicles, three in Germany and one in USA, both in multi-colour schemes, overall green and overall tan. This kit will build into a fine display model out of the box, and a real showstopper with some aftermarket PE etc. Highly Recommended. Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model retailers. For details visit www.revell. de/en, @RevellGermany or facebook.com/Revell Steve Shrimpton

When introduced in 1985, the T-80BV was one of the most advanced MBTs in the world, using a 1050hp gas turbine engine, 125mm 2A46 main gun firing conventional ammunition and ‘Kobra’ AT-8 missiles, and sporting the new ‘Kontakt-1’ explosive reactive armour (ERA). However, the T-80BV gained a poor reputation due to high cost and reliability issues with the gas turbine engine, and with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, production ceased. With all the recent interest in modern Soviet armour, Revell HAS released their version of the T-80BV in their standard end opening box with excellent artwork on the front. On opening the box however, the kit is a bit of a disappointment as it is a re-issue of the original kit from the 1980s, developed from the matchbox T-80B kit. This kit was probably quite good in its day, but compared to today’s state of the art kits, it is certainly not up to standard. The kit consists of four sprues of olive coloured styrene, a small decal sheet and Revells usual well laid out instruction sheets. The moulds have stood up well as the sprues are crisp and show little or no flash, sink marks, etc. Surface detail is reasonable but simplified in places with some well known dimensional and shape issues with the hull and turret. The 12.7 NSVT AA machine gun in particular is very poorly modelled, and would best be replaced. On the plus side, all the hatches are modelled open to allow the addition of crew figures, although the insides of the hatches would need to be detailed, and the ERA blocks are quite good. The running gear is another major disappointment as, although the road wheels and sprockets are acceptable, the tracks are awful and should be replaced with some of the excellent third party tracks available if a display model is to be attempted from this kit. The well printed decal sheet provides markings for three vehicles, two in 3 colour schemes and one in overall green, in Russia post 1991. Recommended with reservations (wargaming only). Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model retailers. For details visit www.revell.de/en, @ RevellGermany or facebook.com/Revell Steve Shrimpton

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Incoming Book Reviews

MR BLACK PUBLICATIONS SCALE MODEL HAND BOOK FIGURE MODELLING VOL.10

Mr Black Publications have a great series of ongoing books on figure painting, and here is another, Volume 10. These books are a brilliant series, they come in an A4 format, with a high quality flat finished soft cover and 50 pages, containing beautiful photos throughout and well written text. This issue is presented to the usual standard with eight varied subjects, all brilliant in their field. The subjects are as follows: • Roman Centurion by Christos Katselos • Ejecutor by Pepe Gallardo • Blood by Sergey Popovichenko • Bar Gunner by Ernesto Reyes Stalhuth • US Paratrooper 82nd Airborne by Christos Stamatopoulos • Laconian Hoplite by Grigoris Marmatakis • Cleopatra by Adrian Hopwood • Jules Vern by Michael Kontraros All subjects are finished to an incredible level, really showing off the talent of these guys. Of particular interest was the article Blood, that shows how to represent blood on figures to a very realistic standard. Gory but cool. This series is brilliant, and I always look forward to future issues. This one just adds to the series. Highly Recommended. Thanks to Mr Black Publications for the sample www.mrblackpublications.com Andrew Judson

MR BLACK PUBLICATIONS SCALE MODEL HANDBOOK FIGURE MODELLING VOL.11

It is always great to see new books on figure painting being released and here we have another volume from Mr Black Publications, Figure Modelling number 11. As with the earlier issues, this is another brilliant volume. It is an A4 soft cover book with 50 pages filled with excellent colour photos and easy to understand text. Inside this issue there are seven articles of different period figures being the following: • Byzantine Draconarius by Christos Katselos • Afghan Tribesman by Ernesto Reyes Salhuth • Hidatsa Warrior by Ioannis Tsiktsiris • Ottoman Warrior by Jesus Gamarra • Stalingrad by Carl Startin Kyle • Heir to the Blue Sun by Ju-Won Jung, and lastly • Young Desert Warrior by Mike Butler. All these articles are filled with great photos, and show how good the contributors really are. I think that if you are a figure painter, or are looking at getting into figures this, or any of the others in this series would be a great asset in your library. I highly recommend to all. Highly Recommended. Thanks to Mr Black Publications for the sample www.mrblackpublications.com Andrew Judson

MR BLACK PUBLICATIONS SCALE MODEL HANDBOOK FIGURE MODELLING VOL.12

The series from Mr Black Publications has been around for a while now, and to show how good they are, here we have another brilliant addition to the series with volume 12. As with all issues, it comes in the form of an A4 high quality soft back format, with 50 pages of excellent photos and well written easy to understand text. There are seven subjects with in the pages of this edition, all incredibly done by their painters. These subjects are as follows: • Ace Werner Molders by Ernesto Reyes Stalhuth, • German Soldier MG 42 by Carl Startin • Fratres Militiae 13th Century by Ernesto Reyes Stalhuth • Captain John Bradstock by Alex Varela • Roman Officer of the Marines by Ernesto Reyes Stalhuth • Nights Watch by Myeong-Ha Hwang, and finally • Byzantine Heavy Infantry Warrior by Sergy Popovichenko One article that really stood out for me in this issue was the German Soldier MG 42. It really is stunning. With every issue that has come from this publisher, I have been more than impressed, and must say that I always look forward to future issues. I am quite confident to highly recommend this to all figure painters, beginners and veterans. Inspirational. Highly Recommended. Thanks to Mr Black Publications for the sample www.mrblackpublications.com Andrew Judson

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KIT PREVIEW

Trumpeter 1:35 German Armoured Train Panzertriebwagen Nr.16 • Kit No. 00223

Any colour you want as long as it is Panzer Grey!

GUNS AND RAILS

James Hatch examines Trumpeter’s latest foray into German WWII rolling stock - their 1:35 scale Panzertriebwagen Nr.16.

T

he Panzertriebwagen No. 16 (Skr. PzTrWg 16 or PT 16) was a German heavy armoured train, powered by a Voith 550hp hydraulic transmission diesel engine, and built by the Berliner Maschinenbau-Gesellschaft Actien vormals L. Schwartzkopff, in 1942. This vehicle was based on a locomotive design for an armoured train (WR 550 D14), and then encased in further armour and equipped with two armoured artillery positions, at both ends of the train. These were initially armed with two 20 mm antiaircraft guns (2 cm Flakvierling 38) but this was modified to use two Russian 76.2 mm FK 295/1 cannon (as used on the BP42 armoured trains). The thickness of the armor Panzertriebwagen No. 16 ranged from 31mm to 84 mm, and the vehicle was the heaviest armoured rail vehicle in existence. Only one was built, and this served on the Eastern Front. By 1943, the train was used as a reserve weapon, patrolling areas that were threatened by partisans. In the spring and summer of 1944, it was in the service of the Army Group Centre, and participated in, amongst others, in the battles of Rawa Ruska and Lublin. It was then withdrawn westwards after the Eastern Front started slipping towards the borders of A nicely cast bonus resin the Third Reich. In April 1945, PzTrWg 16 took figure is also included. part in the battle of Neuruppin, and between the 1-2 May 1945, was captured undamaged in Neustadt. After the end of World War II, PzTrWg 16 was pressed into service with the Polish Army, maintaining operational military communications in the areas of service. The train was on operational service in the Bieszczady Mountains, up until the end of 1947, protecting railway routes and election posts against partisans, during the referendum on the 30 June 1946. The same operations were conducted for the elections for the Polish Sejm parliament, on January 19, 1947. Trumpeter certainly likes to release some oddball kits, and this is definitely one of them. It is also an imposing box, being quite large and pretty heavy too. I have quite a liking

for Trumpeter’s box artwork, and this one depicts PzTrWg 16 sat stationary, presumably somewhere near the Eastern Front, with a German officer and soldier looking on. It is quite an understated image, but one that demonstrates the sheer size and power of this train, and its relative featureless façade, save for the armoured turrets at each end. This will certainly be an interesting and leftfield subject to tackle. Opening the lid immediately shows the reason why this box weighs so much. It is absolutely stuffed to the rafters with styrene. Some of these parts are impressive in their size too. This behemoth of a kit contains: • 19 sprues, moulded in light grey styrene 6 large, individual styrene parts for train sections such as cab, chassis and turrets. • 8 large styrene parts for the roadbed • 1 clear sprue • 510 plastic parts • 3 photo-etched frets with a total of 204 parts The box itself has a single narrow compartment set aside into which the large hull and chassis are located. You will also find the clear sprue and PE frets here too. All plastic parts are bagged too, with the cassis sat into the bottom of the cab. The remainder of sprues in the box are mostly packed in twos, but there is no need to worry about possible damage, as all is superbly packed.

UPPER HULL AND CHASSIS Well, I really couldn’t ignore these parts for my first look at this kit. The hull itself is the section that contains the diesel powered loco, all hidden in a seriously robust looking exterior. To give you an impression of size, this part is almost a couple of inches longer than a foot (around 340mm), and is as tall as it is wide (approx. 95mm). This impressive feat of engineering must’ve employed some sort of slide-mould technology due to the various slots, openings and other minor external detail. The top of this clearly shows the riveted armour plating, ventilation louvres/punched panels, cover

plates, and some very impressive weld seams around the forward and rear crew entry cupola points. The upper centre section is a separate piece, presumably as this is where the injection moulding point was. Small traces of sprue gate can be seen here and just need to be removed. For clean up, that’s all that’s required on this part. More neat weld seam detail can be seen around the fore and aft ends of the hull. Internally, there is no detail, but there doesn’t need to be. There are some stiffening ribs that run top to bottom along the inside walls. These help give the chassis something to sit against so that that part remains straight. That chassis is pretty featureless, simply being a floor for the hull. Onto this will fit the wheels and running gear parts. A large hollow centre will accommodate a disc that acts as a securing point for the train gear below. Again, I think this is moulded separately as it was originally the point where the plastic was injected.

ARMOURED TRUCK / PLATFORM There is a turreted and armoured truck at each end of the train, and as a result, you will need to make two identical assemblies for these. There are zero differences between the two. The largest parts here are the truck base and the plastform that sits atop them (mounting the turret). Each of these two parts (4 in all) is separately bagged and requires virtually no clean up at all. Very impressive. Detail is necessarily sparse, but contains bold raised rivets, weld seams, hook and anchor points for the main hull, and slots/holes for minor external detail.

ROAD BED AND SPRUE L TRACKS This, when assembled, is around a metre long, with the model itself measuring approximately 630mm. This would give you some space for any further display items, or maybe you could shorten the track accordingly. The track consists of four different sections, with two of each included. In the manual, these are referred

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The impressive main moulding. This is more than a foot long.

The surface details are crisp. Weld beads are a nice touch too.

Detail is sparse but accurate.

Sprue B – the train’s wheels and suspension.

The perforated engine vent for the hull roof.

The drive wheels.

Leaf springs.

Running gear. There are four of these sprues.

Some of the detail parts.

Sprue E contains parts for the turrets. There are two of these sprues.

One of the turret shells.

Sleepers.

The rails.

The two road bed sections.

to as ROAD A, B, C and D, and construction is very straightforward as they have interlocking lugs. Test fitting them does show that the side faces will need some filler and sanding to remove joints, but the ballast surface detail is more than passable, with the joints hiding reasonably well amongst the detail. Note the hollow slots. This is where the sleepers fit from below, moulded as sections. Onto this will fit the tracks and other minor, associated parts. Two identical sprue ‘L’ runners are included for the roadbed, and these are packed with protective foam in between them. This protects the fragile cleats what sit on top of the sleeper sections. These are designed so that the track actually threads down the sections. A simple but effective wood grain finish is applied to the sleepers, but perhaps the edges are just too perfect. A little nibbing here and there will improve their look. The tracks themselves look very good, but thee are some ejector pin marks running along the inside edge of them. These can be effectively hidden by ensuring that these face inwards, away from view. Lastly, the track joint plates are included here, incorporating both bolt head and threaded end/nut detail, just to break things up a little. That’s a nice touch.

SPRUE A The parts here are pretty obvious, with the hull upper centre section and the lower chassis central disc being included. Parts are also included for the hulls lower running gear framework. These will be further supplemented by further sprue additions. As will most main parts on this model, detail is sparse but accurate, with large studded rivets and bolt heads being the only real order of the day on the side parts.

We now start to see parts which tell you that this is actually a train. These sprues contain all of the wheels for this subject, plus chassis spacers, leaf spring suspension parts, wheel fixing caps and bearing housings etc. You’ll also notice parts for the train lamp bodies too, as well as footplates, handles etc.

SPRUE C X 2 There are quite a number of detail parts included here. These include buffers, globe buffers, footplates/stanchions, brackets, hydraulic hoses, tow lugs, grab rails, rear platform access protective armour etc. The access doors are also moulded separately and can be posed either open or closed. However, if you want them open, you’ll have to fabricate the internal detail yourself, as none is included. A strange option by Trumpeter, and one that will only be useful if someone releases a detail set, or you can make the parts yourself.

SPRUE E X 2 Both of these sprues contain parts for the turrets, exclusively. The main turret is moulded with alternative side plates as separate parts. There are 10 sides to each turret. These are quite plain looking, with only an opening in the upper face for crew entry. The reason for the separate plates is that each of these has raised detail. It would’ve been a nightmare to mould them integrally. Also present here are parts for the guns and the large turret bases. Each gun has a fabric cover for its mantlet, and these are included as plastic parts, and looking suitably realistic.

PLASTIC SUMMARY Apart from the edges that need filling on the track sections, and the pin marks along the

Sprue C contains quite a number of detail parts.

Sleeper woodgrain detail is well done.

The three photo-etched frets.

SPRUE B X 4

Lower hull and related parts.

The preserved vehicle in Poland.

inner track lengths, there’s nothing at all to fault here. I can’t see any defects, such as sink marks etc, and moulding is generally very, very good. A little flash here and there is about the worst you can expect to see here.

PHOTO-ETCH Even though there are over 200 PE parts here, they are quite simple, if not repetitive and fiddly to fit. They mainly consist of small lugs that fit to the outside of the turrets and their carriages, as well as the hull armoured sides and roof. These are mainly carried on a large, single sheet. Two identical, smaller frets are included, with more lugs and parts for turret guns.

INSTRUCTIONS These are very typically Trumpeter, with clear line drawings illustrating all construction sequences. Nothing looks very difficult with this model, but there are no colour call-outs for any part. The reason for this is probably because most things were the same colour anywhere (field grey). A colour sheet is included that shows the completed train sat on its track.

CONCLUSION Actually, this is a very nice kit, and would make a welcome change from the usual run of the mill subjects that we all get bogged down with from time to time. It’s also a reasonably priced kit. I’ve seen this for around £75 + P&P from one retailer, and the model itself is pretty large when complete. There’s nothing here to challenge anyone, except for perhaps those PE lugs, but that’s more by necessity than a fault of Trump! Great kit. Strange subject, but with a wow factor when finished! Highly recommended. ■

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1:48 Scale – A round-up of the latest news and releases

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE IDEA

I

was saddened a few months ago to hear about the passing of one of scale modelling’s founding fathers, Mr. Shep Paine. I know of no other miniature artist who gave a whole generation of modellers so much inspiration. I remember, as a kid, I received a Monogram 1:35 scale Sherman as a Christmas gift. Within that kit was a “how to” pamphlet on the building a Sherman charging through hedge groves. The presentation and more importantly the idea made a huge impact on me as a kid. Speaking to modellers of my generation today, most have similar stories to mine in regard to those “how to” pamphlets. Not only were the models far better than any I had ever seen before, but I was impressed later in life with the sheer brilliance of the idea to include them in the kits themselves. We all owe a debt to both Shep Paine and that unknown Monogram employee who thought up the whole idea in the first place. We don’t often see that sort of kit promotion by the major manufacturers, which I think is a real shame. This begs the question, what do you think would be a good idea to promote the hobby now in this digital age? And, more importantly, for we 1:48 scale enthusiasts? I’ve had this conversation with a few modellers and the talk always turns back to the idea of a dedicated book that only deals with 1:48 scale. Within that book a complete list of 1:48 kits and

accessories would be included. The book could be rounded out with some step-by-step guides on building and painting 1:48 scale models. There is no question great modellers can and do inspire great models, one of my favorites is Canadian

modeler Pat Johnston. His painting approach just works so well in this scale. Anyway, write in and I will share your ideas.

Until Next Time Luke Pitt

INSIDE THE ARMOUR

1:48 SCALE ITEM 48002 - BEDFORD MWD PE DETAILING SET (FOR THE AIRFIX KIT) ITEM 48007 - ALBION 3 POINT REFUELER PE DETAILING SET (FOR THE AIRFIX KIT)

It is heartwarming to see another manufacturer join the ranks of 1:48 scale. Inside the Armour has built quite a reputation over recent years with their quality range of 1:35 scale kits and updates. These first 1:48 scale offerings bear all the hallmarks of a quality product. The first set is for the recently released Airfix Bedfor MWD kit and has some nice additions that other aftermarket manufacturers seem to have missed. The front radiator panel including the headlight surrounds is treated as one piece on to which the grill work itself can be either placed on the inside or the outside of the assembly. This is a particularly good idea as this panel on the vehicle itself was remarkably thin. The top engine bonnet is made up of two pieces on to which either the early or late bonnet side panels can be fitted. This arrangement allows the builder to display the kit supplied engine with these supplied items in almost in scale thickness. As an added bonus a rather nice “Bedford” manufacturing logo is supplied and may be fitted to the front radiator panel. The front bumper bar is supplied, as well as the nudge bar brackets into which a small supplied brass tube is fitted. The rest of the set is taken up with the mudflaps and various nick knacks fitted to the vehicle itself. The second set is for the Airfix Albion 3 Point Refueler. This set carries on the theme set by the Bedford. The radiator surround is included and displays some nice recessed detail including the manufacturer’s logo. The side bonnet screens are also included, which will require some careful bending of the cooling flutes. The two rear pumping access doors are included as is the front nudge bar and again a host of little details. The instructions are quite well done on both sets and show precise location instructions. Both of these sets are really well done and hopefully will start a trend from this manufacturer. Highly Recommended. Thanks to Inside the Armour for the samples www.insidethearmour.com Luke Pitt

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Luke Pitt explores the wonderful world of 1:48 scale models and after market.

RED ZEBRA

1:48 SCALE ROLLS AND TARPAULINS AIRFIX BEDFORD MWD STORAGE SET ITEM NUMBER NOT QUOTED

Red Zebra is a small garage resin manufacturer of 1:35 and 1:48 scale accessories. I’ll say this up front - I’m a great fan of their work. I say that because not only is their product well cast, but it also shows a remarkable amount of finesse. A good resin aftermarket product should in my opinion display a number of key features. It should be easy to use and make your build that much easier. Both of these sets tick the boxes in that regard. The roll and tarpaulins set has 20 pieces and all the items are a little different from one another and each displaying some wonderful fold and crease marks on the units themselves. This set has endless applications and is well worthwhile. The Bedford set is also very well done and offers a quick quality solution to the vast open space in the cargo tray of the new Airfix kit. The main casting consists of the spare wheel surrounded by boxes and rolls and tarps. The rest of the set includes various other pieces including a selection of water cans, boxes of various sizes and German Jerry cans. The real beauty of this set is you can mix and match to suit your desired display option. Highly Recommended. Thanks to Red Zebra for the sample www.redzebramodels.co.uk Luke Pitt

GREAT HOBBY SHOP CAMPAIGN L ast month I encouraged all who read this column to write in and tell us of a great hobby shop that you may know of or visited. I urge all who read this column to do this and take a few photos of the shop and its contents. This is really easy these days as most mobile phones take acceptable photos. Tell us why you like the shop so much. This is an important campaign in my view, as many of the smaller hobby shops are the lifeblood of the hobby. This month we swing all the way up to Canada to Hornet Hobbies and Scott Taylor tells us why he likes this shop so much: “Hornet Hobbies, at 1563 O’Connor Drive in Toronto, Ontario www.hornethobbies.com is my favorite modeling destination, a store that embodies all that a great brick-and-mortar hobby shop can offer. Although it has a very good selection of kits, aftermarket accessories, books and magazines, tools and modeling supplies, that’s not what makes Hornet a great store. Hornet’s not just a model store, but a store about models. There aren’t just kits on the shelves, but also display cases full of beautifully finished models. The store is like a modeling pub: it’s a place where people gather to relax and talk models with friends, acquaintances, and strangers who share their interests. Presiding over Hornet like a benevolent bartender is the owner, Dave

Browne. Dave’s a top-notch modeler (he builds beautiful box dioramas!) and one of the nicest people you’ll encounter in this hobby. Dave will not only tell you about new tools and supplies, he will show you how they work and offer you advice on what would be the best choice for your current modeling project. The basement is part of the experience at Hornet. Not only is it a meeting place for a number of local figure and modeling clubs, there are also more display cases with built models (like Michael Rinaldi’s M26 Pershing featured in Tank Art 2) and militaria. It’s also where Hornet runs regular modeling seminars and in-depth classes. Aside from those offered by Dave himself and other local modelers, Hornet has brought in world-renowned modelers like, Bill Horan, Michael Rinaldi, Adam Wilder and the late Shep Paine to provide hands-on seminars and demonstrations. What I love about Hornet Hobbies is that it’s not just a place that you buy models; it’s a place that will help you to build better models, a place where you can look at and display models, and just remind you of all the things about this great hobby that we enjoy. No online store can offer all that.”

Until Next Time Luke Pitt

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Contact Details - for companies featured in MMI... ACCURATE ARMOUR/ ARMOUR DISTRIBUTION

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AMPERSAND PUBLISHING (via Historex Agents in UK)

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ARCHER

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PO Box 1277 Youngsville, NC 27596-1277, USA www.archertransfers.co

BADGER AIR-BRUSH COMPANY 9128W Belmont Ave, Franklin Park, IL 60131 Tel; 847/678-3104 www.badgerairbrush.com email [email protected] (In the UK from www.shesto.co.uk)

BISON DECALS

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DELUXE MATERIALS www.deluxematerials.co.uk [email protected] Tel; 01529 455 0340

DRAGON MODELS

(The Hobby Company in UK)

Dragon Models Ltd, Kong Nam Ind. Building B1-10F, 603-609 Castle Peak Road, Tsuen Wan NT, Hong Kong Fax; (HK) 4110587 www.dragonmodelsltd.com (For 1:6 Action Figures, please contact Amerang in UK)

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MODEL WHOLESALE UK LTD

PLUS MODEL

ICM

Via Hannants in UK

(Creative Models in UK)

HUSSAR PRODUCTIONS, CANADA

BOOKWORLD WHOLESALE

CALIBRE 35

MIG PRODUCTIONS

PANZERWRECKS

IAN ALLAN

Unit 10 Hodfar Road, Sandy Lane Ind Est Stourport, Worcs, DY13 9QB Tel; 01299 823330 Fax; 01299 829970 [email protected]

http://www3.ocn.ne.jp/~m.a.mori/index_eng.html

Sano-shi, Kurohakama-cho 162-1, Tochigi 327-0813, Japan www.hlj.com

BLAST MODELS

Via AFV Modeller or www.blast-models.com

MODELING ARTISAN MORI

UK distributor for Model Victoria and Royal Model

P.O. Box 114, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, LA13 0WY. Tel/Fax; 01229 430 749 [email protected] www.sbmodels.net

1115 Crowley Drive, Carrollton, TX 75006-1312 U.S.A

SWANN-MORTON

Owlerton Green, Sheffield, S6 2BJ Tel; +44 (0)114 234 4231 Fax; +44 (0)114 231 4966 General: [email protected] www.craftknives.com

TAMIYA JAPAN

Tamiya, Inc., 3-7 Ondawara Suruga-ku, Shizuoka 422-8610 JAPAN www.tamiya.com

TAMIYA UK;

THE HOBBY COMPANY LIMITED Garforth Place, Knowlhill, Milton Keynes, MK5 8PG, UK Tel; 01908 605686 Fax; 01908 605666 [email protected] www.hobbyco.net

TRUMPETER

BE

www.trumpeter-china.com Pocketbond in the UK

VERLINDEN PRODUCTIONS (Historex in UK)

811 Lone Star Drive, O’Fallon, Missouri 63366, USA www.verlinden-productions.com

VALLEJO

(Creative Models in UK)

Acrylicos Vallejo, SL Apartado 337 - 08800 Vilanova i la Geltrú, Barcelona, Spain Tel; (34) 93 893 60 12 Fax; (34) 93 893 11 54 www.acrylicosvallejo.com

VLS CORPORATION (LSA in UK)

(TRAKZ, WINGZ, CUSTOM DIORAMICS, WARRIORS); Lincoln County Industrial Park, 1011 Industrial Court, Moscow Mills, Missouri 63362, USA www.modelmecca.com

WHITE ENSIGN

Unit 5, Cobnash Industrial Estate, HR6 9RW Tel; 0844 415 0914 [email protected] www.whiteensignmodels.com

WWII PRODUCTIONS, AUSTRALIA

PO Box 794, Cheltenham GL52 3ZW, UK [email protected]

12 Prince Street, Waratah, 2298, NSW, Australia Tel; +61 (0)2 4967 3205 Fax; +61 (0)2 4967 3207 [email protected]

SBX MODEL SHOP

ZVEZDA

SBLC

Norwich Road, Ipswich. IP1 5DN Tel; 01473 464311 www.sbxmodelshop.co.uk

(The Hobby Company in UK)

Promishlennaia Str.,2, Lobnya, Moscow Region, 141730 Russia [email protected] www.zvezda.org.ru

■ Please mention ‘Model Military International’ if you make contact with any of the companies listed above - thanks! 64 Model Military International - November 2015

p 64-65 Contact NI 115B.indd 64

NOn

11/09/2015 11:13

Tank seco

Next Issue On sale 5th

ISSUE No.115 November 2015, Published October 1st 2015

November, 2015

TANK TORPEDO Kamil Feliks Sztarbala converts Zvezda’s BT-5 into a very unusual variant.

Editor;

Brett Green

Group Editor;

Marcus Nicholls

Publisher;

Alan Harman

Graphic Design;

Alex Hall

Advertising Manager;

Sean Leslie

Office Manager;

Paula Gray

Administration Manager; Hannah McLaurie Administration Assistant; Julie Lane MMI Website;

ADH Web Team

Printed by; Symbian Print Intelligence, Hertfordshire, UK Distributed by; Seymour Distribution 2 East Poultry Avenue, London, EC1A 9PT Tel; 020 7429 4000 Newstrade; Select Publisher Services 3 East Avenue, Bournemouth, BH3 7BW Tel; 01202 586848 Email; [email protected] Model Military International is published on the first Thursday of each month by; ADH Publishing, Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane, Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX UK www.modelmilitary.com Tel; +44 (0)1525 222573 Fax; +44 (0)1525 222574 Editorial enquiries; Email; [email protected]

A report from Brisbane by Brett Green

BERGEPANTHER

Tank Boy 1:35 scale Bergepanther Gallery plus Bruce Culver’s second Think Tank reference installment on Panther variants

The Last Success - Operation Südwind Tamiya’s 1:35 FAMO and Dragon’s Jagdpanzer IV in a dramatic scene by Vladimir Adamec.

FOR YOUR SAFETY Don’t forget, when using solvents such as glues, paints, thinners and cleaning agents, always ventilate your work area thoroughly and wear a face mask. When using power tools, side cutters or any tool that can suddenly break or create highspeed airborne particles, wear approved eye protectors with hard, clear lenses. Please always model in safety!

Subscription enquiries; Tel; +44 (0)1525 222573 Fax; +44 (0)1525 222574 Email; [email protected] Reproduction in part of any text, photograph, or illustration without written consent from the publisher is strictly prohibited. While due care is taken to ensure the contents of Model Military International is accurate, the publishers and printers can not accept responsibility for errors and omissions. Advertisements are accepted for publication in Model Military International only on ADH Publishing’s standard terms of acceptance of advertising, copies of which are available from the advertising department. Please write to the address above. All advertising, circulation and subscription enquiries should also be directed to the UK address above. Subscription rates are; 1 year (12 issues); £44 UK £56 Europe £69 Worldwide (Airmail) Binders; £8.50 plus postage (UK £2.45, Euro £4.45, World £6.45) For all orders, please call; (UK) +44(0)1525 222573 or visit www.modelmilitary.com Back Issues; Back Issues are available at the current cover price. See the latest back issues advert or visit www.modelmilitary.com The paper used in this magazine is manufactured at the Leipa Georg Mill and is 100% recycled using de-inked pulp. The mill conforms fully with the requirements of both FSC and PEFC and carries the full accreditations for their environmental policies.

...and much more! p 64-65 Contact NI 115B.indd 65

© ADH Publishing 2015

Due to many influencing factors, we cannot guarantee the appearance of the above projects, but we’ll try our best!

The paper used on this title is from sustainable forestry

Order online now at; www.modelmilitary.com

QUEENSLAND MODEL AND HOBBY EXPO 2015

Advertising enquiries; Tel; +44 (0)1525 222573 Email; [email protected]

November 2015 - Model Military International 65

11/09/2015 11:13

The Last Post... The kit turret.

Sink marks on the hull stowage boxes.

RECYCLED T-72

More sink marks.

Zvezda has re-boxed the 1990s-vintage 1:35 scale Dragon T-72B kit. Andy King takes a look.

66 Model Military International - November 2015

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largely based on satellite photos and images from official Soviet newspaper sources. At the time it was considered the bees knees as modern Soviet armour was pretty rare in kit form, however things have moved on considerably and newer and better kits are now available. You could argue that the RRP of this kit is low compared to Trumpeters newer T-72, however it would cost a lot more in aftermarket items if you wanted to bring it up to modern day standards plus it has all sorts of dimensional errors and needs a new turret as the one in the kit is incorrectly shaped. I know the development and tooling of a new model is expensive but I know Zvezda can do far better than rehashing 25-30 year old kits, plus as a Russian company they must be able to get firstclass reference and access to the T-72. If you want a quick build for your World of Tanks collection then it’s fine but if you want a good replica of a T-72 either spend a lot of money on aftermarket goodies and invest a lot of time in beating into shape or just go Trumpeter. Sorry Zvezda but…. ■

Thanks to The Hobby Company Limited for the review sample www.hobbyco.net

Generic markings are offered.

The upper hull.

The one-piece lower hull.

ZVEZDA 1:35 T-72B • KIT NO. 3551

T

he latest from Zvezda but hardly a new kit is the T-72B. This has been re-boxed a couple of times by Zvezda (and Revell and Italeri) over the years but it was originally released by Dragon during the 1990s and it shows. In the box you get seven sprues moulded in green styrene, two moulded in black for the link and length tracks and a generic decal sheet with only the numbers printed on. Surprisingly for a kit of this age the flash is not that bad but what the kit does suffer from is sink marks in some very awkward and prominent places such as the front glacis plate, the centres of the fender mounted storage lockers, the engine grill cover and one of the turret hatches. Details are clunky, an example being the headlight brushguards or simplified such as the Dshk AA gun on the turret. The lower hull has all the axles moulded in place so no working torsion bar suspension here. The ERA (Explosive Reactive Armour) blocks are okay but would look better with the gaps between them deepened, as they look a bit nondescript otherwise. All the periscope visors are moulded solid and will require some clever painting to make them look like glass blocks or drill them out completely and replace them with clear styrene. The main gun barrel is a two-part assembly and vertically split so care will be needed during clean up so as not flat-spot it. The canvas cover for the gun mantlet is also split in two and will be tricky to clean up and made to look decent. As stated above the tracks are link and length and on the outer face of each link are mould pin marks which will be very difficult to remove, a better idea would be to hide them with mud, fortunately the insides of the links are mould-pin free. Instructions are typically Zvezda as in they are printed in black and white with a single side profile for the painting and decaling. To put the kit in context, it was originally released not long after the wall had come down in the 1990s between the East and West so information on Soviet vehicles was still very sketchy and

ERA blocks.

Some of the detail parts.

The kit includes link and length tracks.

11/09/2015 11:14

D75020 Find us on facebook search Plastic Kits UK

p 67 Dragon 115.indd 8

Dragon Kits are distributed in the UK by The Hobby Company Limited, Knowlhill, Milton Keynes, MK5 8PG See the full Dragon range at www.hobbyco.net Dragon models are available from all good model shops

10/09/2015 10:02